Five Things We Know About Fat
Fat is an active tissue that influences your brain.
Posted March 23, 2018
Jules Hirsch , a pioneer in obesity research, died in 2015. When he began his career , the dominant belief was that people were overweight because they ate too much—pure and simple. Thin people restrained themselves. People who were fat had no self-control . Fat was a passive repository of stored energy.
We know now that this is not true.
Hirsch recognized that fat is an active organ that has major effects on our metabolism by producing hormones that change how our body stores fat. He also discovered that while the number of fat cells in our body remains fairly constant, their size can change considerably. This is important in understanding why it is so easy to regain weight we have worked so hard to lose.
Hirsch focused on his patients and their needs, trying to understand their struggles to maintain a healthy weight—often fighting what seemed like a losing battle with their bodies. In honor of his life's work, five facts about fat:
So what is white fat? White fat stores energy for later use. Fat cells that are small (have little stored energy) produce a hormone called adiponectin that communicates with the liver and insulin-sensitive tissues, reducing the risk of diabetes. When fat cells become large, with lots of stored energy, they reduce adiponectin production, making tissues resistant to insulin and increasing diabetes risk.
Subcutaneous and visceral fat are the types of fat under the skin (subcutaneous - primarily in the thighs and buttocks) and in the abdomen . They increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. Visceral fat also has a large effect on insulin-resistance. Visceral fat produces most leptin.
What Hirsch taught us about fat is both discouraging and optimistic . On the one hand, it shows just why it is so very hard to lose weight. Not only do we have to control our behaviors and get out of the habits that make us eat more and exercise less, our body is fighting us too. As we try to lose weight—and successfully do so—our bodies hold on more fiercely to every calorie and make us hungrier. If weight loss were easy, everyone would do it.
Optimistically, though, Hirsch demonstrated that some people really just do have an easier time staying slim than others: it's not just a matter of willpower, it's also a matter of genes and how our bodies work.
And, as in almost all complex systems, the truth is a complex combination of both.
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Nancy Darling, Ph.D. , is a professor of psychology at Oberlin College.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.