Re: Digest Number 3154

[Guest guest]

Monday February 5 1:28 PM ET

Obese People Produce More Fat After Meal

By Merritt McKinney

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overweight men respond to a carbohydrate-

rich meal differently than lean men, researchers report. When given

the same meal, heavier men tend to have higher fat production in

their livers, increased rates of certain blood fats and lower

oxidation of fats.

If these metabolic responses to simple carbohydrates--like the ones

in white bread, pasta and simple sugars--continue over time, they may

upset a person's nutritional balance, one of the study's authors, Dr.

J. Alfredo ez, of the University of Navarra in Pamplona, Spain,

told Reuters Health.

The findings may mean that some people become overweight because they

are able to store sugars as fats more easily, according to ez.

However, it is not clear from the study if the difference in fat

production is caused by obesity, or obesity leads to changes in fat

production.

In the study, six lean and seven overweight men ate a high-

carbohydrate, low-fat meal after fasting for nearly 18 hours. Several

aspects of the men's metabolism were measured during fasting and

after eating, according to the report in the American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition.

The authors note that more research is needed to understand the

differences in the way people metabolize nutrients, including

potential genetic variations that may account for the differences.

To maintain a healthy body weight, it is important to strike a

balance between proteins, carbohydrates and fat, the researchers

point out. Since eating carbohydrates reduces the body's need to rely

on fat for fuel, the investigators suspected that the way the body

processes carbohydrates might have an effect on body weight.

SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2001;73:253-261.