How much do you know about your body’s fat storage function, other than the fact that it can make your jeans harder to button? Fat is an integral part of our physiology—we rely on fat to survive. But in a world where one-third of Americans are overweight or obese and fad diets lurk around every corner, it’s important to know why your body needs fat, what kind of fat it needs, and how to keep it in healthy proportions.

1. The Science of Fat Cells
Chewing the Fat

2. How much do you know about your body’s fat
storage function, other than the fact that it can make
your jeans harder to button?
Fat is an integral part of our physiology—we rely
on fat to survive. But in a world where one-third of
Americans are overweight or obese and fad diets
lurk around every corner, it’s important to know
why your body needs fat, what kind of fat it needs,
and how to keep it in healthy proportions.
The Skinny on Fat

3. • Fat, technically known as
adipose tissue, is a loose
connective tissue.
• Fat is subcutaneous tissue,
meaning it is under the skin.
• However, fat is found
throughout the body,
including:
 Within muscle
 Inside the liver
 Atop each kidney
What is Fat?
Men tend to
have more
fat in their
chests and
abdomens.
Women tend
to have
more fat in
their hips,
waists, and
breasts.
Did you know?
Fat concentrations differ between men and
women due to sex hormones.

4. Humans have two forms of fat: brown fat and white fat.
The Two Types of Fat
Brown Fat
Adults have little to no brown
fat. It is found between the
shoulders of newborn babies,
and is used in the production
of heat.
White Fat
White fat’s main role is to store
energy for later use, but it also
acts as a form of insulation
and cushions bones, joints,
and organs.

5. • When we’re born, we don’t have many white fat cells, which means
we can’t retain body heat or properly insulate ourselves. This is
where brown fat cells come in.
• Brown fat cells are composed of:
 A nucleus
 Multiple mitochondria
 Several small fat droplets
• Babies create heat by breaking down the fatty molecules in brown
fat cells into fatty acids.
• The fatty acids are further broken down by mitochondria,
generating heat in the process.
Facts About Brown Fat

6. • Adult humans mainly have white fat cells.
• White fat cells are composed of:
 A tiny nucleus
 Some cytoplasm (taking up about 15% cell volume)
 A large droplet of fat (taking up about 85% cell volume)
• White fat cells are much larger than brown fat cells.
• Think of a white fat cell as a bag holding a drop of fat. When you
need energy, your body dips into that bag.
Facts About White Fat

7. • When you work out or don’t have food to
get energy from, your body must get its
energy from stores of carbohydrates,
proteins, and fats.
• Fats are broken down into glycerol and
fatty acids. These can be broken down for
energy or put through the process of
gluconeogenesis to form glucose.
• Your fat cells shrink as you take away
their fatty acids and glycerol.
How Does The Body Break Down Fat?
The Results of
Burning Fat:
Heat
Water
Carbon dioxide

8. • Remember, fat is an important part of your physiological makeup
and helps you to stay healthy. But it is important to keep body fat at
healthy levels to prevent weight-related conditions like obesity,
diabetes, heart disease, and more.
4 Ways to Keep Fat in Check
Wholesome
Diet
 Reduce
consumption of
processed items
in favor of fresh,
wholesome
ingredients.
Aerobic
Exercise
 Get your heart
pumping for at
least 30 minutes
per day 5 days
per week.
Healthy
Lifestyle
 Get 8 hours of
sleep/night
 Practice stress
management
(e.g., meditation)
Laser
Treatment
 Zerona laser
treatments safely
reduce trouble
spots with zero
downtime.

9. • http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/cellular-microscopic/fat-
cell.htm
• http://science.howstuffworks.com/life/human-biology/lost-
weight1.htm
• http://myzerona.com
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