The science of body fat

Many of us spend a lot of time trying to diet and exercise it away, but a little extra padding can actually be a healthy thing. Here’s what you need to know about why pudge pops up where it does, and what you can do to maintain just the right amount.

Why pudge pops up where it does, and what you can do to maintain just the right amount

When we eat, we stash the kilojoules we don’t use in tiny storage containers called fat cells, which was very handy back when food wasn’t available 24/7. “A healthy-weight woman can survive for a month just by drawing on the energy in her fat cells,” says Dr D. Michael Jensen, an endocrinologist who studies body fat distribution. But thanks to our desk jobs and Uber Eats, our fat cells tend to stockpile extra kilojoules, which means they may start bursting at their seams.

This is when the problems start. Not only do overly puffed-up fat cells puff us up, but they also begin to malfunction. Fat cells help regulate hormones and immunity, but when they get too big, they react differently, disrupting insulin regulation (leading to type 2 diabetes) and causing chronic inflammation (tied to heart disease and cancer). And when the cells are at max capacity, fat collects in and around our internal organs, causing major issues.

But fear not. “While it can take a while to get rid of excess fat, you can make it happen,” says Dr Aaron M. Cypess, PhD, who researches the behaviour of fat in the body. Here’s the deal with body fat – and we bust some myths about how to lose it, if you feel you need to.