The term “fat” often has a negative connotation these days, but fat doesn’t have to be something that’s negative. The key is understanding how your body uses fat to function properly.
Body weight, body proportions, and being “overweight” can mean many things for different people and cultures. Being overweight used to be a sign of privilege (i.e., you were wealthy enough to have access to food and didn’t have to labor at a physical job to earn your wages). Nowadays, this label often comes with the stigma of poor willpower or lack of knowledge.
Today, more than one-third of U.S. adults suffer from obesity, which can lead to:
Both white and brown fat cells secrete important hormones and immune system messengers that significantly impact your health. As you understand how the type, quality, and quantity of fat can affect your health, it’s also important to know how to harness the benefits of these different types of fat.
While white fat can have a bad reputation, your body actually needs it. White fat has sensors for multiple key hormones such as insulin, sex hormones, and stress hormones, and it secretes many important hormones and immune-modulating signals that affect your metabolism and immune system.
Problems can arise if you have too much of this type of fat. Excessive white fat, especially visceral fat, can lead to an increased risk of:
A healthy range of total body fat for women is 15 to 30 percent and 15 to 25 percent for men. There are several ways to measure your body fat percentage, including:
Brown fat is mainly found in hibernating animals and babies to keep them warm. While brown fat levels can decrease with age, adult humans still have small amounts of it, mainly in the neck and upper back region. Individuals who are more lean and metabolically healthy tend to have more brown fat.
There are various ways you can increase your body’s amount of brown fat, and researchers are learning that with certain stimuli, white fat can transform into beige fat (somewhere in between white and brown fat). Try following these four tips:
*Editor’s Note: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only; does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Chopra Center's Mind-Body Medical Group; and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet, supplement, fitness, or other health program.
Want to improve your sleep, eating habits, and overall health? Learn all about how to achieve optimal health and well-being from world-renowned integrative health experts at our Journey Into Healing weekend workshop. Learn More.
Body weight, body proportions, and being “overweight” can mean many things for different people and cultures. Being overweight used to be a sign of privilege (i.e., you were wealthy enough to have access to food and didn’t have to labor at a physical job to earn your wages). Nowadays, this label often comes with the stigma of poor willpower or lack of knowledge.
Today, more than one-third of U.S. adults suffer from obesity, which can lead to:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
- Certain types of cancer
Both white and brown fat cells secrete important hormones and immune system messengers that significantly impact your health. As you understand how the type, quality, and quantity of fat can affect your health, it’s also important to know how to harness the benefits of these different types of fat.
White Fat
White fat is your body’s main type of fat and is found under the skin (subcutaneous) and around your internal organs (visceral fat). It is your largest energy reservoir and does a great job of insulating and cushioning you when you fall or in times of stress.While white fat can have a bad reputation, your body actually needs it. White fat has sensors for multiple key hormones such as insulin, sex hormones, and stress hormones, and it secretes many important hormones and immune-modulating signals that affect your metabolism and immune system.
Problems can arise if you have too much of this type of fat. Excessive white fat, especially visceral fat, can lead to an increased risk of:
- Metabolic dysfunction
- Heart disease
- Certain types of cancer
- Type 2 diabetes
A healthy range of total body fat for women is 15 to 30 percent and 15 to 25 percent for men. There are several ways to measure your body fat percentage, including:
- Body Mass Index
- Calipers
- Bioelectrical impedance scales
- Hydrostatic weighting
- DEXA (Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptimetry)
- Air-displacement plethysmography
Brown Fat
Brown fat is derived from muscle tissue and has a higher number of mitochondria than white fat. Mitochondria, which is the powerhouse of the cell, gives this type of fat its brown coloring and uses energy (calories) to generate heat. Since brown fat burns calories, this type of fat can help you maintain a healthy weight, in addition to helping you stay warm.Brown fat is mainly found in hibernating animals and babies to keep them warm. While brown fat levels can decrease with age, adult humans still have small amounts of it, mainly in the neck and upper back region. Individuals who are more lean and metabolically healthy tend to have more brown fat.
There are various ways you can increase your body’s amount of brown fat, and researchers are learning that with certain stimuli, white fat can transform into beige fat (somewhere in between white and brown fat). Try following these four tips:
- Keep your body cool – exercise and sleep in cooler temperatures (~60F).
- Stimulate your body’s own melatonin to get good quality sleep. Expose yourself to bright light in the morning and minimize this kind of exposure in the evening. You can also consume magnesium and foods rich in melatonin (tart cherries, walnuts, ginger).
- Avoid over- and undereating by listening to your hunger and satiety cues, and eating quality, nutritious food.
- Participate in regular exercise.
- Exercise regularly
- Limit sedentary behavior
- Get quality sleep
- Minimize stress
- Maintain a healthy diet rich in plant-based foods
*Editor’s Note: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only; does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Chopra Center's Mind-Body Medical Group; and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet, supplement, fitness, or other health program.
Want to improve your sleep, eating habits, and overall health? Learn all about how to achieve optimal health and well-being from world-renowned integrative health experts at our Journey Into Healing weekend workshop. Learn More.