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Learn How Your Body Fat Helps You Burn More Calories
by Shin Ohtake on Thursday, January 07, 2010 • 29 Comments
What image comes into your head when you think of fat? You may think of fat as an inanimate blob that just takes up unwanted real estate in your body. But new research has shed light on this unpopular and otherwise inert substance and it can actually help you lose more fat! Yep you read correctly…fat that burns fat. Up to 300 - 500 calories a day! Check out how.
Did you know that you’re born with two different types of fat? White fat and brown fat. Brown fat is hardly ever mentioned because until recently it was thought that brown fat disappeared during our infant stages and that only white fat stayed in our bodies. White fat, is the blubbery mass of metabolic inactive matter that simply stores calories and makes you overweight. But brown fat is completely different. It is very metabolically active since it contains high numbers of energy producing organelles called mitochondria. 5 years ago Aaron Cypess, a research associate stumbled upon a fact, that has since been studied and is now known to be true - brown fat exists in adult humans. This was a huge finding, considering the possible implications it has on the subject of weight loss.
Studies have found that brown fat plays an important role in metabolism. In fact, the amount of brown fat available is a direct indication on whether that person is overweight or not. Younger, skinnier individuals have more brown fat than older, overweight individuals.
For some reason, brown fat in adults are concentrated in the neck and chest region. Why is it located there? They don’t know…but, they do know that temperature plays a big role in activating brown fat. It’s also more prevalent in women than men. One theory is that the lack of muscle mass in females make them more susceptible to colder temperatures and as a result, more brown fat exists to make up for bodily heat loss. Since both muscle and brown fat are metabolically active, they can burn energy to keep the core temperature warmer when exposed to cold temperatures.
Here are some studies done on brown fat and it’s relation to colder temperatures:
Quoted from Popular Mechanics
A team led by Sven Enerbäck, a medical geneticist at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, found that when subjects spent 2 hours in a cold room wearing thin clothing and intermittently soaking their feet in ice water, their brown fat burned 15 times more energy than it did at room temperature. One subject had enough brown fat to lose 8 to 9 pounds per year.
Dutch researchers found active brown fat in 23 out of 24 subjects when they were cold, but not when they were warm.
Research at the University of Nottingham in England revealed brown fat activity was closely associated with seasonal decreases in daylight as well.
Animal studies also suggest brown fat boosts weight loss. Last year, Stockholm University scientists found that mice that could not make brown fat gained weight 50 percent faster than mice that could.
In a 2008 study, mice fed a high-fat diet and kept at room temperature ended up nearly four times heavier than mice fed the same diet and housed at 39 F.
Researchers estimate that just 2 ounces of active brown fat could burn 300 to 500 calories a day. “You don’t need much to have a profound effect on your body’s metabolism,” Cypess says.
So how do you activate brown fat without having to move to the North Pole.
Well, scientists have discovered a protein that’s only present in brown fat but not in white fat. Interestingly, when they deactivated the protein, the brown fat cells converted into muscle cells. Talk about “literally” turning your fat into muscle! Scientist are now trying to figure out how this protein (amongst others) can be used to help obese people lose fat. Their ultimate goal, is to make a pill that can activate brown fat and help increase one’s metabolism so they can lose weight. Another Phen Phen in the making? Hope not!
In the mean time though…why not take advantage of the one thing that activates it.
Cooler temperatures.
What the heck, it’s winter! Take advantage of it. Go out for a brisk walk, or taking up some outdoor activity, like ice skating, cross country skiing or snow shoeing! But, if you’re not a fan of outdoor winter activities you can always do my Max Workouts Programs. You don’t have to suffer in the cold to burn tons of calories. In fact, by doing Max Workouts you can crank up your metabolism and burn fat for up to 48 hours after each workout. So you can relax in the warm comfort of your own home while your body keeps burning the calories away.
Now that you know about brown fat…what are thoughts on it?
Would you take a brown fat activating pill or would you stick to the time tested results of exercise and clean eating?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, so post your comments below.
About The Author
Shin Ohtake is a widely recognized strength coach and fitness & fat-loss expert. His unconventional, no-nonsense approach to getting fit has made him the go-to source for fitness enthusiasts and trainers alike. Shin is also the author of the world famous, MAX Workouts book, which has transformed and reshaped the bodies of thousands of people across the globe - without requiring hours in the gym. To learn more about how MAX Workouts can help you achieve your fitness goals, visit maxworkouts.com.
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29 Comments
Posted by Jennifer on 01/07 at 09:40 AM
Interesting information! I might take a brown fat activating pill if it was a shot term remedy. It really depends on the side effects and I would probably wait until I could read reviews from other people who have tried it.
Posted by Jennifer on 01/07 at 09:42 AM
I meant short term. 
Posted by Nancy on 01/07 at 09:50 AM
Pill-shmill. Don’t most people take enough pills already? Most people are always looking for the shortcut - how about get moving and stop eating so much food and so much crap? People take better care of their cars than they do their own bodies. I don’t get it. It’s not rocket science. Get a grip - have some self control and understand the dynamics of how your body operates so you can make better decisions about what and how much you eat. In addition - get moving. Our bodies were designed to move not sit on the sofa or sit behind a computer for hours at a time. It’s unnatural. It’s not that complicated.
Posted by don levinson on 01/07 at 09:53 AM
interesting. would not take the pill though. like to burn my fatwith the old fashion method. workouts and nutrition. i would be very interested to find out what foods would help activate this brown fat though. thanx for the always useful, interesting info
Posted by bert honea on 01/07 at 10:25 AM
Hmmmm. With all due respect, brown fat’s metabolic activity increases when core body temp falls, something unlikely to happen when exercising in the cold. Sitting on your porch on a cold day wearing a T shirt will get your BF going but not exactly a healthy regimen. Better off working hard outside and letting the residual muscle metabolism carry the day.
Posted by Maggie on 01/07 at 10:52 AM
This is very interesting indeed and although I am not into pills I think finding natural ways (outside of sitting in the cold) to activate this brown fat could be very helpful to people who are obese.
Posted by canice fitzsimons on 01/07 at 11:23 AM
what if i took a brown marker from my colouring pen set and colour my white fat brown?? quicker and safer than pills!! i think i’ll stick to running and gym sessions!! good read though
Posted by sheila on 01/07 at 12:05 PM
I always thought that cold hardens fat and heat desolves it. I really don’t understand but running outside n the winter sounds like unwanted illnesses. In the gym u find steam rooms and saunas. Not freeze ur but off rooms. I’ll stick 2 the old fashion way cause cold is not my idea temp 2 wk out. Ur reading was interesting and if it wrks 4 some then wrk it out!
Posted by Leslie on 01/07 at 12:48 PM
Finally, an explanation for your move from California to Toronto!
Posted by Lisa on 01/07 at 01:48 PM
I would definitely stick to clean eating and exercising. No pill taking for me!
Posted by Adrian Pace on 01/07 at 02:38 PM
I try to take cold showers in winter the water is so cold that after a while you feel it hot strange but true this is supposed to increase your metabolism, also doesn’t drinking cold water give a small contribution to burn more calories ?
Posted by Tim Williams on 01/07 at 03:31 PM
Interesting information. I do host outdoor bootcamps in the winter, so this information is very inlightening and worth sharing with my clients. I will consider making temperatures a little cooler in my studio though to try and take further advantage of these findings. Thanks for the information.
Posted by margie on 01/07 at 03:52 PM
Pill…....don’t think so. I shall stick to my daily routine of cleaning, scrubbing, gardening, playing outdoor sports and continuing with my morning and afternoon power walks. 
Posted by Derek on 01/07 at 06:34 PM
No to pill taking for me. To me this is the lazy person way of reducing body fat. Diet and exercise is the way to go. Also working out in the cold is a bit hard at present as I am in Australia and we are in our summer months.
Derek
Posted by Carmen Trott on 01/07 at 07:14 PM
Yeah no pill taking for me! However if something was formulated that could help increase the brown fat in obese people it maybe worth looking into.
But really I’m all for helping my clients build character in the losing weight process. You know using good old fashion self control, building endurance, being faithful to commitments, stickability those traits acheived in the weight loss journey spills over into all areas of ones life! Something no pill could acheive!
Carmen
Australia
Posted by nelson on 01/07 at 07:28 PM
this article was very interesting and the good news is i live in a iowa and its very cold right now
Posted by Chris on 01/07 at 07:33 PM
This is really interesting find and i was not aware of the two different types of fat stored in your body.
The answer to the question…I’d definitely not take the pill unless a few years had gone by, it was still on the market with proven results and no side effects.
I enjoy hard work and eating clean foods has really re-trained my pallet, plus eating pure fibers and small amount of complex carbs fills you up plenty. so i never really complain.
Cheers for this article Shin. Many thanks,
Chris
Posted by Mars Samson on 01/08 at 02:08 AM
I think it is better to focus on the current way of staying fit and loosing weight. It seems that they find all these new and interesting things like brown fat, that has been in our bodies even though they only know this now, and the only thing I know is working, is Max training, brown fat or no brown fat. I was over weight, brown fat and all, and training helped me loose weight
Posted by Anna on 01/08 at 06:00 AM
I moved to Luxembourg from Sweden 5 years ago and during these years I have totally lost the ability to stand cold. In Sweden I managed it much better. So yes, I totally a agree, I have read studies on brown fat in the past, it was greatly discussed around the time Estonia went down - sep 94, because the women had a higher survival rate. But no, I would not take a pill, I am all for the natural way; nutrition, exercise and basic common sense.
Besides which,how we live finally decides our quality of life.
By the way, I like your work, Anna
Posted by tamara on 01/08 at 06:31 AM
Well, you have just given me the motivation i needed to get my running shoes on and go hit the snowy trails!! It’s below zero here in Switzerland today and a blanket of snow covers us all! Happy New Year by the way
Posted by michael on 01/08 at 12:42 PM
Pills always seem to have sideffects, so I tend not to trust them. I believe that their is always a natural and therefore better alternative to pills and scientific theories. We just have to find them. So I don,t want to try any pills period. I believe that people put on weight because they eat more than they need and eat for comfort reasons not hunger needs. The simple solution is find out what you are seeking comfort from and deal with it, you should then naturally lose weight and settle at the most appropriate weight for you and your body.
These are just my opinions.
Posted by Robert Ruschak on 01/08 at 12:56 PM
I’m getting plenty of outdoor activity this winter shoveling snow. :(
Posted by Raja Khoury on 01/08 at 08:25 PM
‘‘Still, the findings don’t necessarily mean that activating brown fat leads to a trimmer waist. For one thing, the body is especially good at maintaining equilibrium, which is why a boost in calorie-burning can often trigger a hunger signal and prompt people to eat more to make up for the loss. And even if drug companies could find a way to activate brown fat safely, that excess activity could throw off other metabolic systems and damage your health. After all, the people who have the most active brown fat so far are those with cancer and hyperthyroidism’‘
Have a great 2010!!
http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1890175,00.html#ixzz0c4JpBoS9
Posted by Hilmir on 01/09 at 05:28 PM
I know a lot of athelets specially soccer players in England and other contries use ice bath after workouts but not for fat burning, they use it for faster recovery. I have tried it and it works verry well and speeds up recovery time to go into an ice bath for 2 - 4 minutes after intense workouts, now after reading this I will sure do it more often
Posted by Sharon Limb on 01/12 at 06:08 AM
If I was to take the brown fat pill, what would the effect be when I stopped taking it, would it be something that you would have to take for the rest of your life?
I think that I would not take the pill and just keep working out to the Max work outs
Posted by Jon on 01/22 at 11:01 AM
That’s really interesting. This is the first time I’ve heard about brown and white fat.
Kinda makes me wanna go out and jog since the temperatures haven’t been too cold lately considering wind chill.
Posted by Max Hugh on 02/03 at 08:39 AM
EVERY cell in the body has mitochondria (INCLUDING WHITE FAT)—it is where ATP Adenosine Tri-Phosphate is reduced to Adenosine Di-Phosphate to release phosphate rich energy to drive the cell.
Posted by 1fitgirl on 02/04 at 07:15 PM
I have always lost weight when visiting winter with no change in eating, maybe even eating more because I was visiting family when visiting the cold… now I know why. Very interesting. It does seem genetic since I was the only one in the family that lost weight.
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Posted by Ahmed Abbas on 01/07 at 09:34 AM
Mitochondria always exist in every type of cell; however that comes as a complete surprise that it existed in brown fat, i wish i would know how to increase it