Artur de Medeiros Queiroz was born with very few fat cells in his body.
Today, at 34 years old, he has a body fat percentage similar to that of high-performance athletes.
While this may sound like something many people would desire, Arthur’s body composition is the result of a genetic mutation that, in practice, means a life of strict dieting and constant concern for his health.
Artur’s rare condition, with an estimated diagnosis of one person per million, is known as Berardinelli syndrome or congenital generalized lipodystrophy.
Although the condition presents characteristics opposite to those of obesity, the consequences of lipodystrophy are, curiously, similar: metabolic dysregulation and a risk of various diseases.
Those who suffer from this condition lack sufficient adipocytes (cells that store fat), and excess fat ends up accumulating where it shouldn’t.
“Through the bloodstream, this fat can deposit in other organs, such as the liver, pancreas, and muscles. This can cause pancreatic inflammation, fat accumulation in the liver, and other serious metabolic problems,” explains Julliane Campos, a professor at UFRN (Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte) and a specialist in adipose tissue biology.
Depending on the genetic mutation involved and the severity of the condition, people with the syndrome may also experience complications in different body systems, such as heart and respiratory disorders, hormonal dysfunctions affecting puberty and fertility, kidney problems, skin manifestations, and, in some cases, neurological disorders.
Another common consequence is a lack of satiety, worsened by the limitation on the amount of food these individuals can consume, especially foods containing fat.
This is because leptin, the hormone that signals the brain when we are full, is produced by fat cells, which are significantly reduced in these patients.
