Researchers at McGill University in Montreal are hoping that mutant roundworms will help the West win its epic struggle with obesity. Led by researchers Patrick Narbonne and Richard Roy, the team discovered a genetic mutation that makes some C. elegans worms burn off fat extremely quickly, and are hoping to apply their new knowledge to help obese people lose weight.
From the press release:
“These mutants somehow cannot shut down the process of cell division, which is why we noticed them in the first place,” Roy said. […] “They store up their six-month lipid reserves, but as soon as they shift into dauer they use them up within a few days.
[…] “I think we should start looking at the enzymes involved in this cascade, particularly in obese individuals. They are likewise accumulating lipids, but in a reverse situation to C. elegans — this enzyme isn’t recognizing it, or something is blocking its function. We’re making the case that we can uncouple this enzyme from its normal regulation. If we could develop drugs to do that selectively in fatty tissue, we’d be able to chew up all the fat.”
Of course, it can’t be healthy to burn six months worth of fat in just a few days — and it certainly isn’t healthy for the worms, which don’t tend to survive the process. The best way to lose weight is still a sensible combination of diet and exercise, but if it can be made safe, a drug developed from the worms’ enzymes might offer hope to people whose genetic makeups don’t let them burn fat fast enough, no matter how much exercise they get. And with 34% of American adults obese, researchers are looking for whatever fat-fighting tools they can get their hands on.
By the way, have you ever wondered what exactly constitutes obesity, as opposed to plain old overweightness? As a general rule, people — unless they’re bodybuilders or pregnant — are considered obese if they have a Body Mass Index (BMI) above 30, which can be calculated with the following formula:
(Weight in pounds) * [ 703 / (height in inches)2 ]
So, if you’re six feet tall and weigh 170 pounds, your BMI is:
170 * [703 / 722]; or
170 * [703 / 5184]; or
23
Image via Lab Spaces.
Chart via Wikipedia.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Asher Vijay // Dec 26, 2008 at 3:50 pm
As a McGill student who occasionally reads the McGill news, I already read this, and I have to say: it’s really quite clever, but it’s horribly short-sighted. How many layers of band-aids can we use before we have to amputate? No drug will ever be a replacement for education and discipline… sigh.
2 B // Dec 27, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Amen Asher!
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