We bemoan fat cells for many reasons, but in reality, they play a very important role in our well-being. First of all, fat cells allow us to go about our daily activities without the need for an IV drip. Our caloric needs change constantly based on food intake and activity, but we don’t worry about this minute-to-minute because fat cells are a calorie reservoir. In addition, fat cells have good memories, with special immune cells to help our bodies remember and fight previous infections. They also help regulate appetite and maintain our balance of energy.
Three Kinds of Fat
In addition, not all fat is created equal. We associate body fat with white fat (also known as adipose tissue) whose primary function is storage. This type of fat also provides much-needed padding that allows us to sit on a chair for more than a minute or two, and adds contours to our faces. A second type is brown fat, which generates heat and plays an important role in keeping us warm. White fat tends to accumulate under the skin and abdominal cavity, while brown fat is typically found around the shoulder blades, neck, and along the spinal cord. Recent research shows a third type, called “beige” fat, because the cells look like white cells but function like brown cells.
New Insights about Fat
Scientists note that there may be a genetic link between the type of fat your body is most prone to produce. While many factors contribute to obesity, one may be a genetic predisposition to develop an abundance of white fat versus brown. High levels of brown fat are associated with lower levels of obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. At Harvard University’s Josline Diabetes Center, researchers are investigating whether weight gain can be reversed by greater activation of a person’s brown fat. In theory, this would dissipate fat as heat. One way this could be done is with cold temperatures.
It’s Still a Hypothesis
Before plunging yourself in an ice bath or adjusting your thermostat to 50 degrees, note that activating brown fat to reverse weight gain is just a hypothesis right now.
Treatments to activate brown fat as an obesity treatment are still at the proof-of-concept stage, and are a long way off from being approved for therapeutic use. — Yu-Hua Tseng, PhD, Josline Diabetes Center
Top Takeaway
Fat cells of all types have an important role to play in keeping us healthy. However, an overabundance of adipose tissue (white fat) is linked to a myriad of chronic diseases. While exciting research to control obesity through the body’s own fat is on the horizon, the best current method for weight reduction is this: a combination of nutrition, movement, sleep, and stress reduction.