Good Fat Could Help Counteract Obesity

Not all fat cells are created equal. While most of us think of fat as something to be avoided, there are actually two types of fat cells. The most common kind of fat in adults is the white fat cell, those lumpy layers that tend to accumulate around the waist and thighs. But the other kind of fat, brown fat, actually helps the body burn calories, rather than store them.

Until recently scientists believed that brown fat was only present in newborn infants, but new studies have found it in the chest and neck area of adult humans and animals. Brown fat is used by the body to generate heat by burning off excess sugar that would otherwise be stored as white fat.

Now researchers at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found a way to direct young muscle cells to develop into brown fat cells in a laboratory environment. These cells were then implanted into mice where they developed into brown fat tissue that burned calories at a very high rate.

The research team believes that, in the future, people could either have brown fat cells implanted, or be injected with a hormone that could instigate their bodies to produce brown fat. The implants or injections could provide a novel and effective treatment for obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

AUTHOR: Kristina Canizares