Fat cells outlive skinny ones

Fat cells and the obesity paradox

Fat yeast cells outlive lean ones, says a new study from Michigan State University. The results support the phenomenon known as the 'obesity paradox'.

What is the obesity paradox?

This concept postulates that overweight people could have the lowest all-cause mortality rate while fit people, oddly enough, could have a mortality rate comparable to those categorised as slightly obese.

Does this mean it’s healthier to be fat?

Before you get too excited and order that cheese burger, you should know that the research has NOT yet been proven in humans.

"The obesity paradox baffles scientists across numerous disciplines," said Min-Hao Kuo, MSU biochemist and molecular biologist who published the study in the current issue of PLoS Genetics. "But when it comes to yeast, which is an excellent model for the studies of human ageing, increasing the cellular content of triacylglycerol, or fat, extends the lifespan."

What is triacylglycerol?

Triacylglycerol (TAG) is a fat found in all eukaryotes that include animals, plants and fungi. The lipid's ability to store excessive energy, provide insulation and accumulate in response to many stressors is well known.

Kuo's team was the first to show a positive correlation between TAG, content and lifespan, which provides support for the obesity paradox theory.

While the team suspects that the pro-longevity function exists in humans, they've yet to prove that triacylglycerol could drive the intriguing phenomenon in humans.

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