In a new study published in EClinical Medicine, scientists set out to determine whether or not something called the “gravitostat”—a homeostatic regulation of body weight they found existed in rodents in a prior study—existed in human beings. The gravitostat is an internal system of cells and sensors which use “the body’s pressure against the earth to sense its weight and send messages to the brain about whether that weight had grown or declined,” The New York Times reported. It’s like a little scale in your body and essentially it wants to keep your weight the way it’s used to, even if you are overweight or obese. However, once you go over a certain line, the gravitostat kicks into action and tells the brain that the body needs to lose some of those excess pounds—at least that’s what the findings of the rodent study indicated. But does the same system exist in people?ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb The scientist observed 69 participants who were randomly given either a “low load” or “high load” weighted vest to wear, hoping to find out “if artificially increased weight loading decreases biological body weight also in obese humans,” the same way it had in rodents. The short answer, the say, is yes. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. According to the researchers, “high load treatment resulted in a more pronounced relative body weight loss compared to low load treatment.” This leads them to two key takeaways: The gravitostat very well may exist in humans and if that is the case, it responds to new weight being added, not just being overweight or obese in general. Put that in the context of lockdown and it may explain a lot. And for tips on becoming more active, check out 25 Ways to Boost Your Energy Level Without Coffee.
