 [Huffpoo] What the research says: High-altitude living could lead to a leaner physique. People who lived at sea level were up to 5 times more likely to be obese than those who called areas with an elevation over about 9,800 feet (like certain parts of Colorado) home, even after the researchers of the study controlled for activity levels. A 2014 study in PLOS One also found that overweight subjects were less likely to continue gaining weight and become obese when they were living at higher altitudes. One potential explanation: Elevation could lower your appetite, as research suggests that not only do levels of leptin, the hormone that helps tell your brain when it's time to stop eating, potentially rise at higher altitudes, but your body may also respond to the hormone more effectively. |