Obese people living in cold prone to gaining weight: study
Posted May 8, 2013 10:27 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – People who are obese may find it harder to lose weight in cooler climates. A new study shows obese people are prone to gaining weight in cold weather because of how the body burns calories.
SFU Biomedical Physiology and Kinesiology Professor Matthew White compared people who are obese and thin and found that folks who are in the obese category don’t burn as much energy as those who are slim.
“Once they’ve passed a certain body mass index, BMI of 30, this appears to be about the point when they start to develop this tendency or predisposition to lower metabolic responses, lower energy expenditures in the cold…obese individuals in mild cold conditions are showing lower metabolic responses than thin individuals, and we’re building on this preliminary discovery.”
Leaner individuals in the cold will expend more calories by shivering to warm up, as he says they don’t experience what he refers to as “insulation trap.” He’s hoping this research will help combat the growing problem in Canada.
“We’re in a situation where it’s [obesity] approaching epidemic proportions and the health consequences and costs to the health care system is substantial. Any advancement we can make in helping reduce the trend in reducing obesity is a positive one.”
He and his team of researchers are doing a follow up study and are looking for men aged 19 to 45 to take part. They are currently seeking participants to fill out their need for 20 control individuals and 20 people with a high BMI. Contact Matthew White at 778-782-6895 or email matt@sfu.ca.
