How Our Bodies Gain And Store Fat
Liposuction, tummy tucks and UltraShape are safe and effective ways to get rid of unwanted fat. But understanding the scientific processes behind weight gain and fat storage is important to understanding weight loss and maintenance.
Where Does Fat Go?
Fat is referred to as adipose tissue in medical terminology. Adipose tissue is necessary in your body in reasonable amounts. On a person who is not obese, adipose tissue is stored underneath the skin, in the muscles, in the liver, and on top of each of the kidneys.
The distribution of fat in the body differs between men and women. This difference is determined by testosterone and estrogen; men, with their excess of testosterone, will store fat in his chest, abdomen, and butt. Women, with their excess of estrogen, will store fat in the breasts, thighs, and butt.
Since estrogen and testosterone are the triggers for where fat is stored, it is natural that most of the physical changes in the body that occur at puberty have to do with fat cell distribution. When the breasts and chest "fill out" in puberty, the fat cells are clustering to where they will stay throughout that individual’s adult life.
As the body gains more fat, fat cells simply get bigger; there are not more of them. Any weight loss activity reduces the size rather than the number of fat cells.
The Journey of Fat Through Your Body
The actual process of weight gain and fat storage is actually quite simple.
1. Emulsification
In the intestines, large fat drops are combined with bile salts from the gall bladder through emulsification. Think liquid detergent dropped into a pan of grease – this process breaks up the fat into smaller fat cells called micelles.
2. Further Breakdown
The micelles are acted on by lipases, which are enzymes secreted by the pancreas. Lipases further break down the micelles into glycerol and fatty acids.
3. Intestinal Absorption
The glycerol and fatty acids are absorbed into the wall of the intestine.
4. Repackaging
Once isolated in the intestinal wall, glycerol and fatty acids are recombined to form chylomicrons. Chylomicrons consist of triglycerides (or fat molecules) with a protein coating to allow the fats to dissipate easily in water.
5. Transport
Chylomicrons are then transported through the body using the lymphatic system – they are too large to enter the bloodstream through the capillary wall.
6. Bloodstream and Further Breakdown
The lymphatic system then merges with the veins, at which point the fats are released into the bloodstream. Lipoprotein lipases, which are enzymes that live on the walls of blood vessels in fat tissue, further break down the chylomicrons into fatty acids. They also act as valves, opening up when told to by the insulin in your body in order to absorb more or less fat, depending on the insulin level.
7. Insulin – Nature’s Fat Traffic Light
Insulin tells the lipases how much fat to absorb into the body’s fat cells. Any excess is secreted as a waste product. If insulin is high in the body, it will kick the lipases into high gear, letting the fat cell grab fat, glucose, and amino acids. If insulin is low, the lipases will gear down, allowing that fat to be secreted as a waste product.
The Importance of Insulin
Even though it may seem from the above that the lipoprotein lipases are the important item in the equation of fat absorption, they are much like computers - they are only as good as the user. Insulin is the user.
While insulin performs vital functions in the body, the reality of our diets today means that it is usually performing its task too well. When foods that are high in fats or carbohydrates are eaten, this sends a trigger to the body to release insulin. Given our diets, this is actually quite often, meaning that the lipoprotein lipases are absorbing much more than they should be. One of the tricks to maintaining weight loss is to not eat foods that are high in fat or carbohydrates, which act as insulin triggers. The equation is simple;
High fat/carb diet = more insulin produced = more fat absorbed into fat cells
Consistently high levels of insulin in the body may also lead to heart problems and diabetes as well as contributing to weight gain.
Leptin – Nature’s Fat Stop Sign
Leptin is given off by the hypothalamus in our brains when we have had enough to eat. Leptin reduces appetite. Large amounts of insulin reduce leptin production, which can account for the "buffet effect" - the more food we eat, the less likely we are to stop eating.
Stopping Fat Before It Starts
Once fat has been stored in fat cells, it is possible to burn it off through a reduced calorie diet and exercise. As we can see through the process described here, it is actually easier to just avoid high fat and high carb foods to keep fat from accumulating in the first place. Of course, that won’t stop us from having that ice cream sundae or bagel with cream cheese – the key is moderation and an understanding of the process of fat storage.
Fat storage consists of a very simple process of a journey through the body. Understanding the process that fat undergoes before it is stored in your fat cells, and how insulin regulates the uptake of fat by your body is crucial. It will go a long way towards helping you make that decision when you are wondering whether or not you should get another plate at the buffet table.
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