Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

The adipocyte-number hypothesis

A F Roche

    Child Development
    |March 1, 1981
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    The adipocyte-number hypothesis, suggesting fat cell count is fixed early in life, is not supported by new findings. Research indicates adipocyte number may change throughout life, challenging long-held beliefs about obesity determination.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    Body size and fatness in young adults in relation to age at menarche.

    American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council·2017
    Same author

    Maturity and its relationship to plasma lipid and lipoprotein levels in adolescents: The Fels longitudinal study.

    American journal of human biology : the official journal of the Human Biology Council·2017
    Same author

    Body composition of ethnic groups in the US.

    Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition·2014
    Same author

    The significance of sarcopenia in relation to health.

    Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition·2014
    Same author

    Fat-free mass from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and from other procedures.

    Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition·2014
    Same author

    High frequency energy absorption and the measurement of limb muscle.

    Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition·2014

    Area of Science:

    • Physiology
    • Obesity Research
    • Cell Biology

    Background:

    • The adipocyte-number hypothesis posits that the number of fat cells (adipocytes) is fixed early in life, predetermining leanness or obesity.
    • Current methods for estimating adipocyte number rely on total body fat and adipocyte size measurements, with questions about their validity.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To evaluate the validity of the adipocyte-number hypothesis in humans.
    • To investigate whether adipocyte number is fixed early in life or can change throughout adulthood.

    Main Methods:

    • Review of existing methods for estimating adipocyte number and size.
    • Analysis of age-to-age correlations of obesity measures from childhood to adulthood.
    • Examination of serial data on body fat changes during infancy and childhood.

    Related Experiment Videos

    Main Results:

    • Estimating adipocyte number faces challenges, including unrepresentative samples and exclusion of fat-free adipocytes.
    • Age-to-age correlations for obesity measures show low correlation before age 6, increasing thereafter.
    • Serial data suggest only a slight tendency for obese infants to become obese adults.

    Conclusions:

    • Existing methods for estimating adipocyte number have limitations.
    • Data do not support the hypothesis that adipocyte number is fixed early in life.
    • Adipocyte number may not be predetermined and could change during adult life, impacting obesity development.