How Fatty Foods Curb Hunger

Fatty foods may not be the healthiest diet choice, but those rich in unsaturated fats – such as avocados, nuts and olive oil – have been found to play a pivotal role in sending this important message to your brain: stop eating, you're full.


A new study by UC Irvine pharmacologists shows that these fats trigger production of a compound in the small intestine that curbs hunger pangs. This discovery, the researchers say, points toward new approaches to treating obesity and other eating disorders.

Daniele Piomelli, the Louise Turner Arnold Chair in Neurosciences, and his colleagues have studied how a fat-derived compound called oleoylethanolamide regulates hunger and body weight. In their current work, which appears in the Oct. 8 issue of Cell Metabolism, they found that an unsaturated fatty acid called oleic acid stimulates production of OEA, which in turn decreases appetite.

Oleic acid is transformed into OEA by cells in the upper region of the small intestine. OEA then finds its way to nerve endings that carry the hunger-curbing message to the brain. There, it activates a brain circuit that increases feelings of fullness. In previous studies, Piomelli found that increasing OEA levels can reduce appetite, produce weight loss and lower blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

Piomelli believes OEA could be used in a variety of drugs because it is a key to the way the body naturally handles fatty foods and regulates eating and body weight.

"We are excited to find that OEA activates cell receptors that already have been the focus of successful drug development," he said. "This gives us hope for a new class of anti-obesity drugs based on the savvy use of natural appetite-controlling mechanisms."

Nearly 30 percent of Americans are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which has declared obesity an epidemic disease. The occurrence of obesity has risen by almost 60 percent since 1991, and it greatly increases the risk of premature death, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

What is Overweight?

Obesity is an excess proportion of total body fat. A person is considered obese when his or her weight is 20% or more above normal weight. The most common measure of obesity is the body mass index or BMI. A person is considered overweight if his or her BMI is between 25 and 29.9; a person is considered obese if his or her BMI is over 30.

"Morbid obesity" means that a person is either 50%-100% over normal weight, more than 100 pounds over normal weight, has a BMI of 40 or higher, or is sufficiently overweight to severely interfere with health or normal function.

The Body mass Index

The body mass index (BMI), or Quetelet index, is a statistical measure of the weight of ax person scaled according to height. As such, it is useful as a population measure only, and is not appropriate for diagnosing individuals. It was invented between 1830 and 1850 by the Belgian polymath Adolphe Quetelet during the course of developing "social physics"

Body mass index is defined as the individual's body weight divided by the square of their height. The formulas universally used in medicine produce a unit of measure of kg/m². Body mass index may be accurately calculated using either of the formulas below.

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Overweight Causes.

Genetic Causes

Genetics play a major role in overweight and obesity. Scientific consensus is emerging that body weight is about 70 percent determined by inheritance. Adopted children, for example, tend to resemble the weight of their biological parents more than their adopted parents. Exactly how genes control body weight is not known, but the resting metabolic rate, which is the amount of energy we expend at rest, and the metabolic energy we expend after a meal are about 70 percent determined by our genes. Food and beverage intake, selection of specific food items, and how full we feel after eating may all be at least partially determined genetically.

Nutritional Causes

Americans today are eating more calories than ever before, as indicated by statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

It’s no mystery why Americans are gaining more weight: we are eating more calories. Specifically, we are eating more carbohydrates, mostly as refined grains, added sugars, and sweeteners; and we are still eating too much of the wrong kinds of fat – animal and trans fats. All of this may lead to premature death.

Another nutritional cause of obesity is that we eat out more often than we used to. About 50 percent of food spending today is spent on food eaten away from home. Eating out contributes to a higher intake of added fats and carbohydrates. Further, the intake of fruits, vegetables and milk is lower when eating out. Seventy-five percent of students ages 11-18 eat in a fast-food restaurant each week.

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Xenical, To treat the Overweight.

¿What is Xenical?

Xenical blocks some of the fat that you eat, keeping it from being absorbed by your body. Xenical is used together with a reduced-calorie diet and weight maintenance to treat obesity in people with certain risk factors (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol or triglycerides). Xenical may also be used for purposes other than those listed in this medication guide.

¿How should I take Xenical?

Take this medication exactly as directed on the label, or as it was prescribed for you. Do not take the medication in larger amounts, or take it for longer than recommended by your doctor. Follow the directions on your prescription label. This medication comes with patient instructions for safe and effective use.

Follow these directions carefully. Ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. Xenical is only part of a complete program of treatment that also includes diet, exercise, and weight control. Your daily intake of fat, protein, and carbohydrates should be evenly divided over all of your daily meals. Follow your diet, medication, and exercise routines very closely. Take this medicine with a full glass of water.

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