Body fat is an endocrine organ. This means that it secretes hormones that interact with other organs to regulate your metabolism. Body fat cells can expand 1000x their original size. When we gain fat, we don’t gain new cells, the ones we have just expand. We have three types of storage fats. First, we have subcutaneous fat, which is right beneath the skin. Then we have visceral fat which is the number one fat that is associated with obesity and diabetes. This is the type of fat the surrounds organs, and is quite dangerous. Lastly, we have intramuscular fat, which is the fat in our muscles that is used as energy for our muscles. These types of fat also fall under the umbrella category of white adipose tissue. Our fat cells also store fat soluble toxicants from the environment. Also, Fat cells secrete inflammatory compounds, such as inflammatory cytokines. When we lose fat via fat loss strategies, 70% of it actually exits through our breath.

History of Fat

Fat was once much valued in society. Its occurrence was not common, so it had more value. Our ancestors welcomed it in times of famine. In the Chinese Tang dynasty, fat women were carved into tomb stones in belief it will create prosperity in the after life. In America, fat used to be a sign of prosperity and beauty. In 1866, the fat mans club was created in Connecticut; they’re saying was a fat bank account makes a fat man, and had to be significantly over weight to join. After Americas economy grew, so did the citizens weight. Because it was becoming increasingly more common, it was no longer valued. Business, military leaders, and physicians cautioned against being overweight, and offered fat loss advice. The fat mans club closed in 1903. Unfortunately, this snowballed into name calling and believing it’s immoral.

Roles That Fat Plays

1. Produces certain hormones like leptin and estrogen.

2. Acts a cushion to protect organs from impact.

3. Can be burned as energy.

4. Responsible for holding our cells together through the cell membranes.

5. Myelin is a fatty tissue that is responsible for nerve signaling.

6. Subcutaneous fat acts as insulation to extreme temperatures. It also keeps heat inside the body.

Reasons It May Be Difficult to Lose Weight

1. Yo-yo dieting

When you go on a diet that consists of caloric restriction, your metabolism will slow down over time and begin to store fat. If you go back to the way you were eating before, your body will try to reach its set point, resulting in gaining more weight than was on previously. Also, when you lose fat, you lose leptin, which will result in more hunger. This may have a long term effect.

2. Microbiome disarray

Opportunistic bacteria that feed on sugar tend to extract more calories from food. This means you may be getting more calories from the food your eating than you actually need.

3. Gender

If your a female, your more likely to gain weight because your biology needs more fat to be healthy. It’s also easier to gain access weight. If there is a caloric deficit, your body will secrete more ghrelin (hunger hormone) to gain back that weight. Women tend to have more subcutaneous fat instead of visceral fat, which is healthy.

4. Stress

Stress hormones like cortisol suppress insulin secretion, which inhibits glucose uptake to the cells, and disrupts insulin signaling to the muscle. This causes insulin resistance, resulting in weight gain.