Eat like a Pig to Combat Obesity
Obesity and related metabolic health issues are a growing human threat, with many theories regarding its causes. In swine, physiologically alike to humans, considerable knowledge on obesity mechanisms has been accumulated. Calorie counting is the basis for managing swine diets and applied with great...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Metabolites |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/420 |
| _version_ | 1797610178822012928 |
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| author | Theo A. T. G. van Kempen Ruurd T. Zijlstra |
| author_facet | Theo A. T. G. van Kempen Ruurd T. Zijlstra |
| author_sort | Theo A. T. G. van Kempen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Obesity and related metabolic health issues are a growing human threat, with many theories regarding its causes. In swine, physiologically alike to humans, considerable knowledge on obesity mechanisms has been accumulated. Calorie counting is the basis for managing swine diets and applied with great accuracy. Epigenetic programing predisposes pigs to insulin insensitivity, but pigs seem to sense this insensitivity and consequently eat less, preventing obesity. Pigs naturally prefer to eat small breakfasts and large dinners. Deviating from this eating pattern or providing diets with a high glycemic burden can trigger obesity; however, pigs will restrict food intake to prevent serious obesity. Interestingly, in practice, problems with obesity are rarely seen, even when pigs are fed poorly timed diets similar to junk food, likely because swine diets are balanced for every nutrient. Indeed, feeding pigs diets deficient in micronutrients does trigger obesity. For humans, several micronutrient requirements have not been set officially, and diets optimized for all micronutrients are rarely provided. In conclusion, various obesity triggers are being debated for humans, which have been proven in swine. Obesity problems in pigs are nevertheless less excessive, likely because pigs recognize unhealthy eating practices and consequently reduce food intake to avoid serious complications. Finally, swine diets are normally balanced for all nutrients, which may be an important practice to prevent obesity, from which human health could greatly benefit. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:11:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0931b1fd460429bb00d37359d7096b2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-1989 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T06:11:51Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Metabolites |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0931b1fd460429bb00d37359d7096b22023-11-17T12:37:14ZengMDPI AGMetabolites2218-19892023-03-0113342010.3390/metabo13030420Eat like a Pig to Combat ObesityTheo A. T. G. van Kempen0Ruurd T. Zijlstra1Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7621, USADepartment of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2P5, CanadaObesity and related metabolic health issues are a growing human threat, with many theories regarding its causes. In swine, physiologically alike to humans, considerable knowledge on obesity mechanisms has been accumulated. Calorie counting is the basis for managing swine diets and applied with great accuracy. Epigenetic programing predisposes pigs to insulin insensitivity, but pigs seem to sense this insensitivity and consequently eat less, preventing obesity. Pigs naturally prefer to eat small breakfasts and large dinners. Deviating from this eating pattern or providing diets with a high glycemic burden can trigger obesity; however, pigs will restrict food intake to prevent serious obesity. Interestingly, in practice, problems with obesity are rarely seen, even when pigs are fed poorly timed diets similar to junk food, likely because swine diets are balanced for every nutrient. Indeed, feeding pigs diets deficient in micronutrients does trigger obesity. For humans, several micronutrient requirements have not been set officially, and diets optimized for all micronutrients are rarely provided. In conclusion, various obesity triggers are being debated for humans, which have been proven in swine. Obesity problems in pigs are nevertheless less excessive, likely because pigs recognize unhealthy eating practices and consequently reduce food intake to avoid serious complications. Finally, swine diets are normally balanced for all nutrients, which may be an important practice to prevent obesity, from which human health could greatly benefit.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/420obesityglycemiaepigeneticshumansswine |
| spellingShingle | Theo A. T. G. van Kempen Ruurd T. Zijlstra Eat like a Pig to Combat Obesity Metabolites obesity glycemia epigenetics humans swine |
| title | Eat like a Pig to Combat Obesity |
| title_full | Eat like a Pig to Combat Obesity |
| title_fullStr | Eat like a Pig to Combat Obesity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eat like a Pig to Combat Obesity |
| title_short | Eat like a Pig to Combat Obesity |
| title_sort | eat like a pig to combat obesity |
| topic | obesity glycemia epigenetics humans swine |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1989/13/3/420 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT theoatgvankempen eatlikeapigtocombatobesity AT ruurdtzijlstra eatlikeapigtocombatobesity |