How Obesity and Diabetes Affect Insulin in Fat Tissue
Effects of Obesity, Hyperinsulinemia, and Glucose Intolerance on Insulin Action in Adipose Tissue of Sixty-Year-Old Men
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Obesity alone does NOT impair insulin action on glucose metabolism in adipose tissue
The common belief is that obesity = insulin resistance everywhere. This study shows that's not true in fat tissue specifically - the receptors and glucose oxidation work normally in obese men WITHOUT diabetes.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on preventing progression to glucose intolerance, not just weight loss
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Obesity alone does NOT impair insulin action on glucose metabolism in adipose tissue
The common belief is that obesity = insulin resistance everywhere. This study shows that's not true in fat tissue specifically - the receptors and glucose oxidation work normally in obese men WITHOUT diabetes.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on preventing progression to glucose intolerance, not just weight loss
Publication
Journal
Diabetes
Year
1986
Authors
Jan Bolinder, Hans Lithell, Einar Skarfors, Peter Arner
Related Content
Claims (6)
In older men with obesity, insulin seems to be better at stopping fat from breaking down compared to men of normal weight, and this difference shows up whether or not the obese men have high insulin or blood sugar problems.
Doctors have found that when men carry extra weight, their bodies become less good at responding to insulin - and this gets worse the more weight-related health problems they have.
For 60-year-old men who are moderately obese, their cells' ability to bind insulin is basically the same as for men of normal weight, even when their insulin levels or blood sugar processing differ.
Scientists tested whether giving insulin to men who are obese and have mild diabetes changes how their fat tissue processes sugar. They found that at normal insulin levels, it doesn't really matter - the fat tissue's sugar burning stays the same.
For 60-year-old men, having both obesity and blood sugar problems (but not just being obese or being obese with high insulin) is linked to their fat tissue not responding well to insulin to take in sugar.