Battle of the Bulge

As if the battle of the bulge wasn't hard enough. Now they've gone and researched what scientists are calling "brown fat" and the effects it could have on adult weight loss.

Good Evening, this is Cynthia Meridian reporting on yes, "brown fat" and the benefits it could potentially provide overweight individuals. Brown fat, fat that consumes calories to generate heat, was originally thought only to be found in babies who did not have the muscle capacity to shiver and warm themselves up. However, three different research teams have pinpointed brown fat in adults (typically on the upper back, neck, and spinal region). Brown fat is activated when the body needs to warm itself up, so naturally, subjects were placed in a chilly room, and lo and behold, brown fat showed up in scans completed after wards. So these scientists wonder then, if brown fat is activated all of the time, will the body simply continue to burn calories to try and stay warm, thus losing weight?

Are we all meant to exercise in freezers? Or perhaps just keep our houses comfortably cool all of the time? Then, while we may save money on oil bills in the winter, the long term effects of global warming do not seem to be in favor of brown fat activation.

Maybe we should all just try eating less and exercising more. Old fashioned? Maybe. But, "I'm going to the gym to run" sounds a lot better than "I'm going to go sit in my outdoor freezer so I can activate some of the brown fat on my back."

Cheers!

Cynthia Meridian