Whether due to concern for related health risks (high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, respiratory problems, etc.) or just for sheer aesthetics, many people worry about fat. In fact, at this very moment, thousands of people across the globe are exercising or dieting to reduce their amount of body fat. But have you ever wondered what fat is? When a person "gets fat" what is actually happening inside the person's body? What are "fat cells" and how do they work?

What are Fat Cells?

Fat cells are used by the body to store excess calories (energy) for future use, sometimes for several months at a time! Every excess calorie that your body does not utilize for energy is stored in the fat cells. They contain a huge drop of liquid fat taking up most of the cell, which pushes the nucleus to one side. Fat cells are not inactive, as once thought. In fact they are very dynamic and they interact with the body via thousands of neuro-chemical and neuro-hormonal messengers. An average human body has about 40 billion fat cells which can be as high as 100 billion fat cells in an obese person. 

Where are they located?

Fat cells are arranged in two layers

• The Subcutaneous layer (under the skin): They form the ugly bulges on the hips and thighs
• The Intra Peritoneal layer: This gives rise to the apple shaped obesity and all the health risks.

The subcutaneous fat is harder to lose because of the low blood supply but less risky and the intra peritoneal fat is easier to loose but more risky to have.

Read the entire article at All About Fat Cells

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