Adipose Tissue 

Adipose tissue is often called fatty tissue, but the truth is that adipose tissue is only about 80% fat, with the rest being derived from cells known as lipoblasts. When people think of obesity and being overweight, they often associate this with overall body weight, but the amount of adipose tissue on the body is what determines BMI and obesity factor. Adipose tissue functions as a storage facility for bodily energy, storing extra energy the body may need in the form of fat. When this fat is not burned off properly, obesity can occur.

There are two main types of adipose tissue found in humans; white tissue and brown tissue. White tissue makes up 25% of the body weight of women, and about 20% of the body weight of men. The main purpose of white adipose tissue is to store energy. Upon cues from the pancreas, white adipose tissue will begin to break itself down into fatty acids in order to supply the muscles with energy. In addition to being a source of energy reserves, white adipose tissue is also responsible for helping to maintain body temperature.

The other type of tissue is brown adipose tissue. The main function of brown adipose tissue is to generate body heat. This function is especially important in newborns and small mammals that are incapable of regulating their body temperature through shivering. It was thought that brown adipose tissue only existed in newborn animals and humans and as they grew, it was replaced with white adipose tissue. However, scientists have recently discovered that adult humans have deposits of brown adipose tissue in the upper chest and neck. This has resulted in attempting to transform white adipose tissue into brown tissue, since brown tissue removes the calories from fat and burns it immediately instead of storing it.

Adipose tissue is needed for the storage and regulation of body temperature, but severe storage of energy in white cells can cause severe obesity. When severe obesity is rapidly treated with procedures like gastric bypass surgery, the remaining 20% of tissue that comprises white adipose tissue can leave behind a flabby paunch of material that cannot be corrected through diet and exercise. Reconstructive surgery to remove this excess tissue is one side affect of having a gastric bypass procedure performed.

While adipose tissue performs a vital bodily function, it is perhaps the single most troublesome function for millions of people across the globe.