Definition and Function
The fat that you carry on your body has a scientific name. It’s called adipose tissue. And even though many dieters would like to reduce the amount of adipose tissue that they carry, adipose tissue is important for a healthy body. For example, fatty tissue provides:
Insulation: Adipose tissue helps to insulate your body. This heat insulation keeps your body warm when you are exposed to cold temperatures. Protection: Adipose tissue cushions and protects your organs, bones and other tissues from damage. Energy storage: Your body stores unused energy (calories) in adipose tissue. When you are fasting, dieting, or unable to eat, your body releases the stored energy to maintain all of its important functions. Hormone production: Several important hormones, including leptin, are produced and released by your adipose tissue. Leptin is a hormone that sends signals to stop eating.
Types
You have different types of adipose tissue on your body. Each kind of adipose tissue works differently.
White adipose tissue: White adipose tissue (WAT) provides your body with energy, insulation, and protection, and is generally found around the hips, thighs, belly, or buttocks. Brown adipose tissue. A small amount of fat in your body is brown adipose tissue (BAT). Brown fat has thermogenic properties. That’s a scientific way of saying that brown fat burns fat to produce heat. Researchers are studying ways to use brown fat for weight loss. Beige adipose tissue. Researchers who study brown fat sometimes refer to “beige fat. " Beige fat cells are essentially brown fat cells that reside within the white fat tissue. Beige fat may also hold promise in the fight against obesity.
It is important to have enough adipose tissue on your body to stay healthy. But too much fat—or adipose tissue—causes obesity and puts you at risk for several different medical conditions including heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
Monitoring Adipose Tissue
So how do you make sure you have enough fatty tissue to stay healthy but not enough to put your health at risk? There are different ways to measure fat in your body. Some methods can be performed in the privacy of your own home, some are performed at a gym or health club, and some require a clinical setting like a hospital or laboratory.
Some of the more popular methods include:
DeXA (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry) is performed in a medical setting by a skilled clinician. Hydrostatic weighing is performed in a lab where your body is submerged underwater. BIA (bioelectrical impedance analysis) is a feature offered on many home scales that provide weight, body fat percent, and other numbers. Skin calipers are used to pinch adipose tissue in certain areas of your body. Based on the numbers, a skilled practitioner can estimate the amount of fatty tissue on your frame.
Once you know how much lean mass and adipose or fatty tissue you carry, you can take steps to lose or maintain your weight for improved health and wellness.
