- 14 Mar 2002
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Researchers have discovered that skipping breakfast combined with a lack of physical activity may contribute to the development of potbellies commonly seen in middle-aged men. The findings come from an experiment conducted on rats by a team led by Professor Hiroaki Oda of Nagoya Bunri University.
The study involved 29 male rats whose sciatic nerves were severed, resulting in a 50% reduction in their physical movement. These rats were then fed a high-fat diet reflecting the average fat intake of Americans over 11 days. Because rats are nocturnal—active at night and resting during the day—the start of their active phase was considered equivalent to "morning" in human terms. The experiment was designed to investigate how the timing of meals, specifically skipping the morning feeding, affects weight gain in conjunction with reduced activity levels.
Obesity is generally classified into two types: subcutaneous obesity, which results from fat building up beneath the skin, and visceral obesity, where fat accumulates around the abdominal organs. The latter, often referred to as abdominal obesity or a potbelly, is believed to be linked to lifestyle-related illnesses due to the release of harmful substances from fat cells. Traditionally, it was assumed that overeating and consuming too much fat directly led to fat gathering in the abdominal area. However, in the experiment, despite the animals being fed a high-fat diet, the increase was observed in overall body fat, rather than specifically in the abdomen.
The study involved 29 male rats whose sciatic nerves were severed, resulting in a 50% reduction in their physical movement. These rats were then fed a high-fat diet reflecting the average fat intake of Americans over 11 days. Because rats are nocturnal—active at night and resting during the day—the start of their active phase was considered equivalent to "morning" in human terms. The experiment was designed to investigate how the timing of meals, specifically skipping the morning feeding, affects weight gain in conjunction with reduced activity levels.
Obesity is generally classified into two types: subcutaneous obesity, which results from fat building up beneath the skin, and visceral obesity, where fat accumulates around the abdominal organs. The latter, often referred to as abdominal obesity or a potbelly, is believed to be linked to lifestyle-related illnesses due to the release of harmful substances from fat cells. Traditionally, it was assumed that overeating and consuming too much fat directly led to fat gathering in the abdominal area. However, in the experiment, despite the animals being fed a high-fat diet, the increase was observed in overall body fat, rather than specifically in the abdomen.