Brown fat, which, unlike white fat, burns energy instead of storing it, was always previously thought to be found and active only in infants. In 2009 it was reported for the first time that brown fat is metabolically active in adult humans too, perhaps between 3 and 7.5% of adults, with higher rates among women.
Researchers reviewed scans that had been conducted on 172 children ages 5 to 21. Active brown fat was detected in 44% of the children, with the rate about the same for girls and boys. Children aged 13 to 15 had the highest percentage of detectable brown fat and the highest brown fat activity. But in addition, body mass index (BMI) was correlated inversely with brown fat activity, meaning that the thinnest children had the highest brown fat activity.
While the 2009 study of adults showed brown fat was more active in cold weather, in keeping with its role of burning energy to generate heat, the new study in children showed outdoor temperature had no effect on brown fat activity.
These results have caused speculation that nonpharmacological ways to increase brown fat activity, perhaps by setting indoor temperatures colder in homes where obese children live, or promoting certain foods could also play a role in increasing brown fat levels could support ways to combat the obesity epidemic.
However, while researching for this blog an advert kept popping up from a leading supermarket for £1 tea time meals, all high fat and calories! So perhaps it is less about the search for ways to increase brown fat and more about ways to reduce the brownies!
So what do you think, should we be more careful about the fat we put into our bodies or should be continue to search for how to get rid of it once it is there?
David – Weight Management Centre Nutritionist
Laura A. Drubach, Edwin L. Palmer III, Leonard P. Connolly, Amanda Baker, David Zurakowski, Aaron M. Cypess. Pediatric Brown Adipose Tissue: Detection, Epidemiology, and Differences from Adults. The Journal of Pediatrics, 11 August 2011 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2011.06.028
Artice adapted form eDaily (Aug. 12, 2011) ‘Good Fat’ Most Prevalent in Thin Children
