If you consume more calories than you expend, those extra calories will be stored primarily as fat regardless of whether the extra calories come from fats, carbohydrates, or proteins. Johns Hopkins experts explain the dangers of fat cell secretions.
It used to be thought that fat cells -- known as adipocytes in medical terminology -- were just storage bins for excess calories. Today, however, it is clear that adipocytes are very active cells that produce and secrete a wide variety of substances that play a key role in regulating body weight. But health problems can arise when these cells begin to secrete too much or too little of these substances.
You are born with a set number of fat cells. If you eat more calories than your body needs, your fat cells stretch to store these extra calories as triglycerides. You may even gain new fat cells when the cells have enlarged to their maximum size. Once created, however, fat cells remain in your body forever; they may shrink in size when you lose weight, but they never go away (unless they are removed by surgery or liposuction).
Fat cells normally produce a variety of substances that influence your body weight, how many calories you eat, and how those calories are used as a source of energy. This is an active area of investigation, and researchers have recently identified a long list of these substances—with unwieldy scientific names such as leptin, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha, angiotensinogen, adiponectin, and resistin.
When you have enlarged fat cells or too many fat cells, because you are overweight, many of these substances are released into the bloodstream at higher levels than normal. Over time, excessive amounts of the substances begin to damage blood vessels and tissues and impair blood flow, resulting in health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, liver disease, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer.
Is there anything you can do to normalize the secretions from your fat cells? Yes, and losing weight is your best option. Weight loss shrinks fat cells back to their usual size, normalizes their secretions, and can reverse or prevent many of the health conditions associated with obesity. Some experts predict that doctors may one day be able to analyze your genetic make-up along with the products of your fat cells to see which compounds you’re over- or under-secreting, and design an individualized dietary plan to counter the adverse effects of abnormal levels of specific secretions. For some, that plan may involve a carbohydrate-rich diet; for others, a higher protein or healthy fat regimen. Till then, the usual diet and exercise plan is the best route to shedding pounds.
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