Abdominal fat can stimulate hunger pain: study

Scientist from the Lawson Health Research Institute has been able to nab the culprit which makes fatter people hungrier.

The research published in the Journal of Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) found that fat cells around abdomen produce an appetite-inducing hormone known as Neuropeptide Y (NPY).

Dr. Kaiping Yang, the author of the study in lab research found that the abdominal fat in obese rats in fact produced the hormone.

Earlier it was believed that NYP is only released through brain which makes fatter people to eat in excess in response of the released hormone. The appetizer hormone also induces fat cell production around the belly.

Yang said, “This may lead to a vicious cycle where NPY produced in the brain causes you to eat more and therefore gain more fat around your middle. And then that fat produces more NYP hormone, which leads to even more fat cells.”

Many research put people with extra fats around stomach at great risk of heart disease, diabetes and hypertension.

The further research of the team will be to examine whether NYP produced by abdominal fat cells is circulated in the bloodstream or not and it is very much possible that it could move to brain and stimulate hunger pangs.

“If you can detect NPY early and identify those at risk for abdominal obesity, we can then target therapy to turn off NPY,” Yang said.

"It would be much easier to use drugs to prevent obesity than to treat the diseases caused by obesity, “he added.

The study would be able provide more insight into the disease related to fat and obesity and will pave the way to make a healthier lifestyle by manipulating the hormones.