Research

Hormonal

Acquired obesity, independent of genetic factors, causes deleterious alterations in serum lipid metabolism characterized by increased lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs) and decreased ether phospholipids, which facilitate inflammation, atherogenesis, and insulin resistance.

Your lipid profile is not fixed by your DNA. Gaining weight triggers specific chemical changes in your blood (increased LPCs, decreased protective ether phospholipids) that promote inflammation and insulin resistance. Losing weight or preventing weight gain can mitigate these specific risks, regardless of your genetic background.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
Our results show that obesity, already in its early stages and independent of genetic influences, is associated with deleterious alterations in the lipid metabolism known to facilitate atherogenesis, inflammation and insulin resistance.
Kirsi H. Pietiläinen et al. · PLoS ONE · 2007

Why this rating

High-quality monozygotic twin design controls for genetic confounding, providing strong causal inference for environmental/acquired effects.

Source

Acquired Obesity Is Associated with Changes in the Serum Lipidomic Profile Independent of Genetic Effects – A Monozygotic Twin Study

Kirsi H. Pietiläinen et al. · PLoS ONE · 2007

DOI 10.1371/journal.pone.0000218

cohort · n=24Cited 421×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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