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Fat cells have a 'memory' of obesity, study finds

Live Science
Summary
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75% Informative

A new study suggests that fat cells retain a memory or past obesity, which may prime the cells to grow when exposed to high-fat foods.

Chemical modifications on DNA, or epigenetic markers, may help the cells retain their past state.

The study doesn't prove that epigenetic changes directly cause weight rebound, but strongly suggests these mechanisms may play a role in the complex interplay of forces that drive obesity.

Marianne was previously a news editor at The Lancet and Nature Medicine and the U.K. science reporter for Business Insider . Before becoming a writer, Marianne was a scientist studying how the body fights infections from malaria parasites and gut bacteria..