Fat That Burns Energy

I recently wrote an article discussing ways to increase your basal metabolism rate as an aid to losing weight.  One of the suggestions is to turn off the heat in your house.  Do you think it will work?  It is not a new idea and more than a few have considered it.  If I am someplace cold, doesn't my body have to burn more energy to keep me warm?

It turns out that in one sense, your body will attempt to do just that, but there is a catch. It works when the person has 'brown fat.'  All babies have brown fat because it is important for their ability to maintain the correct body temperature.  By the time we are adults, most of us lose that special fat, but not all.  Approximately 30% of the adult community still has some.

A study was conducted recently in Japan and two groups of men were subjected to cold.  One group had the brown fat, the other did not.  What do you think happened?  As was expected, weight loss for those with the brown fat was easier.  There is still much to learn.

I can only hope that I have some of the 'good stuff'!