2. 外语
  3. The discovery of the obesity gene in humans half a decade ago offered evidence that chronic weight gain is the consequence of a

The discovery of the obesity gene in humans half a decade ago offered evidence that chronic weight gain is the consequence of a

admin2013-01-12  55
问题     The discovery of the obesity gene in humans half a decade ago offered evidence that chronic weight gain is the consequence of a mismatch between nature and nurture. Simplistic explanations, such as blaming obesity on a drop in fat consumption, ignore scientific reality.
    One well-known reason for this is that dietary fat converts to body fat more efficiently than does protein or carbohydrate, but recently scientists have uncovered what appears to be an equally important factor. Some researchers in universities are investigating the possibility that high levels of fat and fructose(果糖)are mucking up our brain chemistry, and thereby muting the signals that would normally tell us to put down the fork. These signals are produced by peptides(缩氨酸),which are regulated by a number of hormones. Under normal conditions these hormones help maintain a stable body weight by adjusting levels of the peptides that control eating. But a diet loaded with fat and fructose hampers the regulation of these hormones. Complicating matters still further is that the brain loses its ability to respond to these hormones as body fat increases—so the obese are doubly penalized.
    Other researchers are finding evidence that constant exposure to fat and sugar can cause some humans to crave them as they do an addictive drug. A Princeton University psychologist recently showed that rats fed a high sugar diet were, when the sugar was removed, thrown into a state of anxiety similar to that seen in withdrawal from morphine or nicotine. Sarah Leibowitz, a neurobiologist, believes that frequent exposure to fatty foods may configure the brain to crave still more fat. She has shown in animal studies that galanin, a brain peptide that simulates eating behavior and decreases energy expenditure, increases when the animal eats a high-fat diet.
    There are many factors contributing to the explosion of obesity in the United States, and the world, but the radical changes in the composition of our diet are first among them. While scientific work in this arena is in its infancy, it’s already clear that varying the amount of fat and other nutrients in the diet affects brain chemistry by activating certain genes, and this in turn directs our dietary preferences. (365 words)
What can NOT be inferred from the whole passage?
选项 A、The obesity gene in humans was discovered five years ago.
B、Unbalance between nature and nurture is one of the causes of obesity.
C、Fat can directs our dietary preferences.
D、We shouldn’t eat any sugar and fat any more in the future.
答案D
解析 从文章最后一段第一句可以看出，该文讲述的是导致肥胖的原因很多，例如吃肥肉和糖，但作者没有建议永远不沾肥肉和糖。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/959O777K
0

考博英语

相关试题推荐
随机试题
最新回复(0)