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FAT TYPES: Did you know that fat comes in different sizes and COLORS
Megan Johnson McCullough - NASM Master
Trainer, Doctoral candidate, group fitness instructor, professional natural
bodybuilder, owner of Every BODY's Fit in Oceanside CA
Fat is an organ of our body we try to exercise away, stare
at in the mirror, poke at in disgust, and feel embarrassed by. Although we only
see it as the dimples on the thighs on the bulge on the belly, fat actually
serves a purpose in our bodies. Fat stores calories we can use for energy and
our body draws from this source when we are hungry. It also works with our
hormones to control metabolism. Too much fat adds stress to the body and puts
added pressure on the joints. There 4 types of fat in our body.
Brown Fat
This is the type of fat that lean people (persons with lower
BMI's) tend to have more of, especially those that are active. It actually
helps to burn calories. The iron this fat contains gives it the brown color.
Children tend to have more brown fat than adults. Its primary purpose is to
help keep us warm. When our body temperature is low, brown fat becomes
activated. As we age, we store less of this type. Scientists would love to find
out how we can stimulate brown fat or help convert other types to this color,
which could ultimately help with weight management. Research is being performed
to find out if brown fat can actually be injected. This is because brown fat
helps to burn white fat. It almost acts like muscle. Even if a person had at
the very least 2 or 3 ounces more of this fat in their body composition, they
could burn up to 300 to 500 more calories per day. It is found in odd locations
on our bodies and differs among people. Because it is hard to find, it is hard
to study. It can even be found in the neck and shoulders. Studies of mice
indicate the ability of brown fat to burn more calories when they are overfed,
which protects them from obesity.
White Fat
We have much more of this type in our body. Its role is
energy storage and hormone production. This type of lipid does have a white
color. This is the cushioning fat that stores triglycerides.
Subcutaneous Fat
This is the fat just under the skin. This the type you can
pinch. We can see it.
Visceral Fat
This is that belly fat stored inside the body that fills the
spaces between our organs. It puts a person at higher risk for heart disease,
diabetes, and stroke. This fat can be insulin resistant, making diabetes a
threat. Having higher amounts has also been linked to dementia.
Women are more prone to gaining extra fat. Both genders need
to work to prevent excess accumulation of fat for their health. This includes
at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week and 2 days of resistance
training. Strength training boosts metabolism and the more muscle a person has,
the more energy the body burns (fat). Just because you don't see fat at first,
doesn't mean it isn't lurking in the organs. It is much easier to gain fat than
to lose it, so make the scorecard in your favor by making
the appropriate behavior changes.
https://www.healthline.com/health/brown-fat#1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3593105/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20489634