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Body fat: friend or foe?

Posted August 11, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Lisa Cieplechowicz

Section: Her Fitness, Her Health, Body Image, Her Nutrition

There’s no question that fat has a bad reputation. To look at the number of people who belong to gyms and weight loss programs, or the amount of individuals undergoing liposuction each year, it becomes glaringly obvious how hated and feared fat has become in our appearance-obsessed society. But here’s some news you may not have expected: fat is not our foe.

Don’t get me wrong - fat has its obvious pitfalls. Obesity has become a hot topic for health officials in recent years, and gaining too much weight is infamously connected to such conditions as diabetes and heart disease. However, despite the drawbacks to the presence of fat in our bodies, new studies are beginning to uncover the “pleasant” side of this seemingly negative anatomical feature.

Take, for instance, the recent report from the New York Times stating that our fat tissue often has our “best interest at heart.” And though this may seem like a radical concept, it turns out fat does have a tendency to look out for our health. Allow me to provide you with some examples.

Read the rest of this article at our partner site: Hesfit.com

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Tags: adiponectin, adipose tissue, body fat, endocrine organs, energy-storer, fat, fat cells, hormones, leptin, new york times, sugar, weight loss, whitehead institute for biomedical reserach

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