Triglycerides May Lead to Obesity

Researchers at Saint Louis University have discovered what may be one of the primary causes of obesity. The hormone leptin normally tells the brain to stop eating but triglycerides may block leptin from reaching the brain:

The scientists used mice to look at how leptin, a hormone secreted by fat cells that tells us to stop eating, gets into the brain. They found that in obese mice, high triglycerides, a type of fat in the bloodstream, prevents leptin from getting into the brain, where it can do its work in turning off feeding and burning calories.

“High triglycerides are blocking the leptin from getting into the brain. If leptin can’t get into the brain, it can't tell you to stop eating,” says Banks, who is principal investigator and a staff physician at Veterans Affairs Medical Center in St. Louis. […]

Before reading about this study, I hadn’t even heard of triglycerides. But, this sounded like a significant discovery and so I looked for more information on them. And, I found this page at the Duke Student Health Center which offered some tips on lowering triglycerides:

Lifestyle changes are the key to change:

• Reduce intake of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet. (saturated fat should account for no more than 7-10% of total calories and cholesterol intake should be reduced to < 300mg/day).
• Increase physical activity to 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity on most days.
• Increase intake of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as those found in canola oil, olive oil and nuts, while decreasing intake of saturated fats such as those found in butter, red meats and bakery foods.
• Consume the majority of your carbohydrate calories in the form of whole grains, vegetables and fruits.
• Keep in mind that substituting carbohydrates for fats may actually raise triglyceride levels and decrease HDL levels in some people.
• Include fish high in Omega-3 fatty acids at least 2 times per week. Fatty fish such as salmon, swordfish, mackerel, and sardines are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.

After reading more about it, I feel better about my triglyceride outlook — I watch my saturated fat intake, I eat fish (a tuna sandwich) every day, and I exercise regularly. And now that I’m aware of their impact on general health, I’ll keep an eye open for more research on triglycerides.