Science Article #5

Can Thin Mountain Air Make You Slim

Couzin-Frankel, J. “Can Thin Mountain Air Make You Slim?” ScienceNOW Daily news.
Retrieved February 5, 2010 From, http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2010/204/2

There is a new weight loss plan and it is unconventional. Apparently, being at high altitude where the air is thinner, it helps shed pounds off you. There were 20 obese men staying for week high up in the mountains of Germany at an environmental research station. During the course of the week, they were to eat as much as they wanted and do nothing strenuous as if they were still at home. Each one of those men were monitored by a pedometer for heart rate and gave blood to see any changes in hormones that affected their appetite and obesity.

The results were good. The altitude had caused these men to lose an average of 1.5kg from their weight of 105kg, which is equivalent to 231 pounds. The reason behind this weight reduction is the thin air. The thinner the air, the harder it is to breath, therefore the heartbeat faster. When the heart beats faster, it burns more energy or metabolism. However, the reduction in weight for 20 men remained uncertain.

Another Contributing factor is the loss of appetite, which is common in higher altitudes. The study is just the beginning but it might even explain that residents living in higher altitude are the least obese than others at near sea level. It is an unconventional way to lose weight but it is definitely worth researching a bit further.