Not all Body Fat is bad for you; some of it is actually good

In the modern times body fat has been correlated with poor health. Everybody is looking to shed fat and be as lean as possible. However we must not forget that body-fat is not inherently bad. Body fat does have an important role to play in our body and in fact there is some body fat that we should try to increase rather than decrease. Not all body fat in the human body is the same. There are different types of body fats, which have different function. There are various ways to categorize body fat, however in broad terms all the body fats can be categorized as White fat and Brown fat.

White Fat

When we eat more calories than what our body needs, it converts those extra calories into fat. This extra fat is stored in our white fat cells, which start to grow in size. In addition to storing extra calories for future use, our white fat cells also produce the hormone called Adiponectin. Adiponectin plays a crucial role in regulating our body’s glucose level and fatty acid breakdown. This hormone is crucial for normal functioning of our body. Hence removing all the white fat from your body is not a good idea. White fat cells therefore are inherently good for us, it is when our fat cells grow in size that we start to have problem The production of Adiponectin goes down as the size of our fat cells increase and the good effects of our white fat cells diminishes. Decreased Adiponectin levels will result in Diabetes, Atherosclerosis and other metabolism related diseases. White fat can be further subdivided into two types

1. Subcutaneous Fat: When we talk about losing fat, this is the fat that we talk about. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that accumulates right under our skin. This fat mostly accumulates around our belly, thighs and glutes. Besides making us look fat and decrease our Adiponectin production, this fat does not have other negative health effects.
2. Visceral Fat: This is the most dangerous fat to have in your body. It is also called deep fat, as it accumulates around our internal organs. This fat directly leads to diabetes and heart diseases. If you are subcutaneous fat then you will also have Visceral fat. So if you have a big belly then you definitely have Visceral fat. However there are many individuals who might have visceral fat with no subcutaneous fat. These individuals will be at a high risk of heart disease but will look healthy otherwise. This makes this fat very dangerous, as the individual might not change lifestyle.

Brown Fat

Brown fat is found in all mammals, but is more prevalent in hibernating mammals. In humans brown fat is most abundant in the newborns and then decreases gradually with age. Brown fat has been shown to get activated by low temperature exposure and plays a very important role is thermal regulation. When exposed to cold environments, brown fat has been shown to convert food into heat, thus regulating the core temperature of the body. By converting food into energy this fat acts like a muscle.

Brown fat has been termed as the good body fat. Latest research is indicating that the activation of brown fat may improve Adiponectin production and its subsequent benefits. Brown fat activation has also been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, and bone health. Research is ongoing to find ways to convert white fat into brown fat and one day might provide a solution to obesity besides diet and exercise.

Besides White and Brown fat, scientists are now learning about Beige fat, which seems to be a mixture of both White and Brown fat. Much investigation is needed to understand this type of fat. Initial research indicates this fat might be playing some part in the conversion of White fat to Brown fat.

With out obsession with lean looks, body fat has been demonized to its end. We do not realize that body fat is not inherently bad for us. Fat tissue is essential for our body. It plays a crucial role in maintaining our blood glucose levels and keeps us warm. Body fat is not the villain, unhealthy eating is.