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- Without unnecessary movements: is it possible to lose weight using the power of thought
Without unnecessary movements: is it possible to lose weight using the power of thought
Losing weight today has become not just a personal goal, but a full-fledged media phenomenon. Social networks and glossy publications are discussing new drugs, side effects like "ozempic-face" and the desire for quick results, which are increasingly becoming more important than the process itself. Against this background, scientists are paying attention to the hormone FGF21, which accelerates metabolism. Experiments by researchers from the University of Oklahoma have shown that the body is able to burn calories more actively under the influence of signals from the brain. Whether "thought" can manage energy consumption and when such technologies will become a reality is in the Izvestia article.
What exactly did the scientists discover
Until recently, the FGF21 hormone was like a "silent regulator of metabolism" for science. It was known as a molecule that helps the body cope with starvation, process fats and maintain energy balance. Simply put, it is one of the many internal signals that affect metabolism.
A new study has added an unexpected twist to this story. It turned out that FGF21 acts not only on the liver and adipose tissue, as previously thought, but also directly affects the brain — more precisely, its deep structures related to energy regulation and nutrition behavior.
Scientists from the University of Oklahoma have shown that the hormone activates a special neural circuit in the brain stem, in the so-called hindbrain. The same area is affected by popular weight loss drugs such as GLP-1 analogues, including Ozempik. But the principle of operation in the case of the hormone turned out to be completely different. If GLP-1 drugs "turn off hunger" and force you to eat less, then FGF21 does the opposite logically, but with a similar result. It does not suppress appetite, but switches the body into a mode of active energy consumption. The body starts to spend more calories even without changing its diet.
In experiments on mice, this looked particularly impressive. The animals lost weight and fat mass not by cutting down on food, but by increasing "energy burning." At the same time, the key element of the effect was not the liver metabolism, but the brain circuit connecting several regions of the brain stem.
In fact, scientists have discovered that the body has a separate fuel mode switch, and it is located in the brain. If earlier obesity was considered as a problem of the balance "eat less — move more", now the picture becomes more complicated, the brain itself can set the level of energy consumption.
How it works
We used to think of weight as a simple formula: calories "entered" — calories "burned". But in reality, everything is more complicated. There is a control system behind the energy balance, and its key center is the brain. It is he who constantly decides how the body manages resources: spend, store or save.
There are several areas in the brain that are responsible for this process. Some monitor the signals of hunger and satiety, focusing on hormones and blood composition. Others regulate the "consumable part", that is, the rate at which the body burns energy. Through the nervous and hormonal systems, these commands are transmitted to organs and tissues, including muscles and adipose tissue.
To simplify, the brain works as a dispatcher who continuously evaluates the state of the body: how much energy has been received, how much has already been stored, whether there is stress, cold or physical exertion. And depending on this, it adjusts the metabolism. Under some conditions, it can slow down energy consumption in order to conserve resources. In others, on the contrary, accelerate them, increasing energy consumption even without changing nutrition.
At the same time, as Olga Ilyicheva, a certified family nutritionist and head of the MIIN scientific department, notes, it is important to avoid simplistic conclusions and not create illusions.
— The idea of "eating as much as you want and losing weight" is incorrect from a physiological point of view. Body weight is just one indicator. Even with increased energy consumption, overeating and low physical activity remain risk factors: they are associated with inflammation, disruption of mitochondria, and therefore a decrease in energy levels, quality, and life expectancy, she believes.
The expert emphasizes that this approach, if confirmed in humans, is more likely to be useful not to everyone, but to those who have a problem not only with excess calories, but also with low energy consumption — the so-called economical metabolism.
What could this change in the treatment of obesity?
The idea of weight management not through appetite suppression, but through increased energy expenditure sounds especially attractive, almost like an attempt to "reconfigure" the metabolism itself. However, in real medicine, there is a long and difficult path between such a discovery and therapy for humans.
Today, most of these data have been obtained in animal models, and this is an important but limited stage. The human body is much more difficult to regulate the energy balance, which means that not all the effects observed in mice are automatically repeated in humans. It is already known that signaling molecules like FGF21 are indeed involved in human metabolism, but their role is much more layered and depends on many additional factors.
From this point of view, it is especially important to consider not only the potential effectiveness, but also the safety of such approaches. As Olga Ilyicheva notes, any artificial interference in the energy consumption system is working with a finely balanced mechanism.
— At the same time, the method has limitations. Artificially increasing energy consumption is an intervention in a complex regulatory system. Effects on the cardiovascular system, bone tissue, as well as compensatory reactions of the body are possible, for example, a decrease in spontaneous activity or a restructuring of metabolism, which may weaken the effect. In addition, in a number of studies, positive effects were observed only in male mice, and in females this not only did not improve metabolic parameters, but also increased appetite and the amount of food consumed," explains the expert.
At the same time, she emphasizes that the very idea of "speeding up metabolism" does not necessarily have to be solely related to future drugs. Some of these mechanisms can already be stimulated naturally.
— Physical activity improves mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity, and cold adaptation can activate brown adipose tissue. The concentration of FGF21 in the blood also increases in response to periodic fasting. This does not replace drug therapy if necessary, but it shows that the body can be put into a more "energy—intensive" mode without pharmacology," the editorial interlocutor continues.
And finally, as Ilyicheva clarifies, even if such approaches eventually become part of clinical practice, they are unlikely to change the basic biological logic of the body. Sustained metabolic health is impossible without exercise and adequate nutrition.
How far can controlling the body through the brain go?
Today, the brain is increasingly viewed not just as a center of thought, but as the main coordinator of the work of the entire organism. It continuously manages internal processes, from metabolism to immune responses, maintaining a delicate balance between different systems.
One of the most actively developing areas of modern science has become the study of the interaction of the brain and the immune system. Previously, it was believed that they function independently, but now it is obvious that there is a constant dialogue between them. This exchange occurs through neural pathways and chemical signals, allowing the brain to influence the immune response.
For example, when an infection or injury occurs, the body triggers inflammation, a natural defense reaction. But if this process becomes excessive and begins to damage its own tissues, the mechanisms of nervous regulation are activated. The brain is able to "turn down the volume" of the immune response, helping to restore balance.
Similar principles apply to stress reactions. In the short term, anxiety mobilizes the body's resources. However, in a chronic condition, this system begins to work against a person: sleep is disrupted, metabolism suffers, and general health deteriorates.
According to experts in the field of neuroimmunology, the key discovery of recent years has been the understanding that the brain does not just react to the body's condition, but actively shapes it. Experts note that "the nervous system is able to fine-tune the immune response, enhancing protection or, conversely, preventing the devastating effects of excessive inflammation." This opens up prospects for new treatment methods, from the control of chronic inflammatory diseases to stress management at the physiological level.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
