Feature: The Outside Looking In

Week 4–Better to Fry in Brown Fat Than White Fat

Author: Carol Richtsmeier
Published: September 12, 2011 at 8:24 am
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I love that "Bullet with Butterfly Wings" song by the Smashing Pumpkins. The one that goes, "Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage."

Usually, I'm not fond of feeling like a rodent, but after reading about this little study, well, there could be some benefits there.


Apparently there is "energy-storing" white fat and "energy burning" brown fat. Who knew? We apparently want that "energy burning" brown fat. According to this study, our little furry mice friends transformed that bad white fat into that good brown fat when they were "given a more engaging place to live with greater opportunities for social stimulation."

The little furry guys who lived in the enriched environment also lost 50 percent more of their abdominal fat than the control critters.


So since my little weight loss endeavor didn't go as well as I had hoped this week with a zero (that's nadda, zilch, zippo) pound loss and only a one inch smaller waist to show for it, perhaps I need to take a closer look at that study. One writer even said it was "surprisingly simple." Apparently, I just need to be busier (is that even possible?), have more friends (so I now have to be less snarkier?), and more room to run around.

Really? 

Now, if I can just get over this sudden craving for cheese, I'll probably be all right. 

 

 
 

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Article Author: Carol Richtsmeier

Carol Richtsmeier teaches journalism at a public high school in Texas where her students and publications have won numerous local, state and national awards. She chronicles her teaching escapades in her blog at mybellringers.blogspot.com. …

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