There are two types of fat cells. The white fat cells are the ones which store fat, mainly in the adipose tissue. The white fat cells have a huge capacity for accumulating fat and it is this fat which is responsible for obesity and its accompanying complications like coronary heart disease. The white fat cells contain two types of fat-the subcutaneous fat and the visceral fat. It is the visceral fat which accumulates during obesity and tends to surround the internal organs. The visceral fat is not inert and releases chemicals capable of producing several diseases.
The second type of fat cell is the brown fat cell which is present in large amounts in hibernating animals. While the fat present in the white fat cell tends to retain calories and thus, contributing to obesity, the fat present in the brown fat cell, is prone to be burnt as fuel. This leads to reduction in weight. Human beings have brown fat cells when they are young, but as they grow up, they lose most of the brown fat cells. There is only a small amount of brown fat left in the adults and this is located in the area between the chest and the neck.
It would be a great victory in the war against obesity if at least some of the white fat cells could be converted into brown fat cells. Recent animal experiments with mice suggest that it is possible to achieve it. Placing the mice in a rich, stimulating and challenging environment stimulates the release in the brain of a chemical called neurotrophic factor as a result of the development of mild stress. This chemical promotes the development of brown fat cells among the white fat cells present.
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