A Georgetown Personal Training Program Reveals: Does Brown Fat In Weight Loss Matters?

Have you ever heard the term "brown fat" before? Have you ever heard of it being discussed in exercise and weight loss programs? Truth of the matter is, brown fat isn't always brought up in weight loss topics. But it is of importance to know about it.

Brown fat, or brown adipose tissue (also called BAT), appears to burn up extra calories in someone who is already slim. When you become cold, brown adipose tissue activity can also be stimulated. Sounds exciting, right? Taken on its surface, in other words, increasing brown adipose tissue activity can help obese people lose weight, right?

Not so fast. That doesn't mean a lot, so far at least, in regard to losing weight for most of us, according to an expert from a Georgetown personal training program, because people who struggle with extra weight are dealing with white fat, not brown fat. (White fat is not metabolically active and pretty much just sits there like a lump; it doesn't need anything, really, to maintain itself.) The scientific community is excited by this news because it's hoped that brown adipose tissue and its activity will help scientists develop a drug that will work on brown adipose tissue (BAT) to activate it, thus increasing energy expenditure in someone who has a lot of weight to lose. Unfortunately, this is probably not going to work for someone who has a lot of weight to lose. Why?

BROWN FAT FACT 1: There is actually something missing with this approach

Even though that sounds like an exciting idea, it is still missing one major part of the equation when it comes to weight loss, according to an expert from a Georgetown personal training program. That is, it's not just a matter of "mind over matter" when it comes to controlling hunger, and you still have to deal with creating a calorie deficit between the calories someone takes in, and the calories they expend. So if, for example, you ramp up brown adipose tissue activity and therefore increase calorie burn, that's great in theory, but it probably also means that someone who's already overweight or obese is simply going to increase calorie intake to take care of the hunger created by that deficit. Problem does NOT get solved with this kind of approach, in other words. This approach would simply make fat people eat more, and eventually, they stay fat.

BROWN FAT FACT 2: Taking care of the hunger so that a calorie deficit can remain a calorie deficit

The REAL part of the equation that's not being addressed here is the white adipose tissue, or the white fat, as previously mentioned. The white fat is what obese people need to lose, and what controls the amount of white fat we all store? Insulin; that's what needs be regulated in order to control hunger and "release" white adipose tissue so it can be burned off. Do that, and you'll naturally cause weight loss, according to an expert from a Georgetown personal training program.

1. Prev:6 Diet Products To Avoid If You Want To Lose Weight
2. Next:Georgetown Personal Fitness Trainer Reveals How To Get The Body You Deserve