Researchers at Simon Fraser University are seeking participants for a study looking at the relationship between cold weather and weight gain in obese people.
Preliminary results of what's being called obesity's "insulation trap" have found obese people are prone to gain weight in mild cold weather because their bodies expend less energy to regulate internal temperature than normal-weight individuals.
"For example, a tall, thin and lean person ... has a greater metabolic response standing in a cold room relative to an obese individual," said Matthew White, an SFU associate professor of biomedical physiology and kinesiology.
"The thin individual will shiver intensely, expending more calories in the cold room in an effort to warm up. The obese individual may have little or no metabolic response and remain at a resting rate of expenditure."
White said the take-home message is that for each pound of fat gained by obese people, the lower the body's energy expenditure, even at rest, and the harder it is to lose weight.
White and his grad student Andrew McMillan compared the metabolic responses of obese and thin men between the ages of 19 and 45 in cold water and air to get their preliminary results.
They are now looking for 40 more participants, 20 normal-weight and 20 with a high body mass index of more than 30 kilograms per metre squared, for the follow-up study.
People interested in participating can call professor White at 778-782-6895 or email [email protected].
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