Environmental enrichment alone produces browning of fat and enhanced weight control not accountable by exercise alone [animal study] Digest
From the article:
“Up to now the only known approach to inducing brown fat has been through exposure to chronic cold. Our research reveals a novel way of doing this without cold exposure. We show that animals living in an enriched environment become lean and resistant to diet-induced obesity, even in the presence of unlimited food.”
[…]
The current study used a similarly designed environment, with 15-20 mice housed in large containers equipped with running wheels, tunnels, huts, wood toys, a maze, and nesting material, in addition to unlimited food and water.
You just missed this in your inbox
Every other week our Premium Members received this exact study plus Rhonda's practical commentary and 8+ other hand-picked papers.
Key findings include the following:
• Enriched animals showed a significant reduction in abdominal white fat mass (49 percent less than controls).
• Exercise (running in a wheel) alone did not account for the changes in body composition and metabolism of enriched animals.
• Fed a high fat diet (45 percent fat), enriched animals gained 29 percent less weight than control mice and remained lean, with no change in food intake. Enriched animals also had a higher body temperature, suggesting that greater energy output, not suppressed appetite, led to the resistance to obesity.