Living in high altitude areas could be associated with a lower risk of becoming overweight or obese. This is demonstrated by a research led by Maira Bes-Rastrollo and Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, professors of the School of Medicine of the University of Navarra.

As highlighted by the researchers, members of the high school de research Sanitaria de Navarra (IDISNA) and the research center Biomédica en network-Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición CIBERobn, living at altitudes above 456 meters decreases by 13% the possibility of suffering from these pathologies compared to people living at an altitude of 124 meters or less. All this taking into account other factors that can influence weight gain such as age, sex, per diem expenses or physical activity.

These results could be explained by the conditions of hypoxia, absence of oxygen, that occur in high altitude areas and that cause a decrease in hunger due to a greater secretion of leptin and the regulation of other hormones involved in appetite control that act to compensate for this hypoxia. In addition, in these situations, the basal energy expense is slightly increased, i.e., the body consumes more energy. 

research with 9,000 participants

This research multidisciplinary , realized in partnership with the area of Geography of the School of Philosophy and Letters and the department of Food Science and Physiology of the School of Pharmacy, was presented at the congress European Obesity in Prague.

The study is based on the analysis of the data of the project Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra (SUN), a cohort research which included more than 9,000 participants who were not overweight or obese and who were related through their zip codes to the altitude at which they were located. After eight and a half years of follow-up, a significant reduction in the risk of developing these pathologies was observed among those who resided at higher altitudes.

Although there are some previous studies suggesting a protective effect of altitude on weight gain, the authors state that it is necessary to be cautious with the results obtained and stress the importance of replicating these results in other different populations.