Epigenetics and obesity

The role of Leptin and other hormones, insulin and ghrelin in obesity. The functions of these hormones to stop eating or start eating.

Leptin; made in white adipose tissue. (Brown fat: needed for thermoregulation...mostly limited in humans...babies and eskimos) amount is directly proportional to amount of fat in the body; signals to the hypothalamus that body is full and to stop eating. LETPIN=DECREASE FOOD INTAKE

Insulin; tells liver, muscle, and fat to take in glucose from blood; released from pancreas when glucose is high; can enter the brain and signal hypothalamus to reduce food intake. Type 2 diabetes=lifestyle choices; insensitive to insulin

Ghrelin; produced by stomach and pancreas; induces feeding and storage of fat; signals hypothalamus to increase food intake.

Hypothalamus: responsible for a lot of homeostasis. 2 types of neurons: Neuron 1= neuropeptide Y and agouti related protein which when activated lead to increased feeding; Neuron 2=proopiomelanocortin (POMC) which leads to decreased food intake; can help with weight loss.

Dopamine (neurotransmitter); reward drug...keeps

Think globally; act locally!
How can we change obesity?

Clocc: Childhood Obesity:

Why should we help obesity decline?
Many diseases of obesity
Systems are affected by obesity
Society is paying for it! You can save money if there were no complications.

How can we help?
Education-nutrition
after school activities
student ambassadors
mass media
access to healthy food
encourage parent support & peer leadership
Change policies in the schools and neighborhoods

Contributing to the problem:
More processed food in more developed countries
Less family time

Activity:

Do some research and find data for obesity. Obesity rates; diabetes rates; maybe start locally and see if any research was done

Environmental and genetic factors contribute to obesity.

Environment has no effect on intergenerational traits

Epigenetics: Conrad waddington
One genotype gives multiple phenotypes depending on environment during development.

Certain nutrients need to be given during development.

Changes in dna methylation can contribute to obesity,stroke, atherosclerosis.

Nutrition and epigenetics:
Viewed methyl donors (like folate).
Veg diet influence methylation patterns
Changes in methylation due to changes in early life nutrition.

Nutrition is extremely important for genetics and the exposure to obesity. The predisposition to obesity.

Rations for Dutch during ww2. Famine in netherlands. So there are details of caloric intake. Compares siblings who were born before famine and those born after. Later kids (lower birth weights) have predisposition to obesity, cardiovascular disease, and psychiatric disorders.

Low birth weight women more likely to have low birth weight children. So they are predisposed to getting obesity in later life.

Epigenetics modifications can be reversed. Early intervention is imperative.

Longer time breastfeeding can lead to Lower possibility for obesity.