Do you know the 4 types of body fat?

Most of us think of fat (i.e. adipose tissue) as our body’s kitchen cabinet – a storage system for excess calories that we can draw on if we find ourselves in a difficult situation or on a long hike without trail mix. While this is partly true, there are different types of body fat that serve various functions.

So if you are determined to lose body fat or maintain a low level body fat percentageyou could inhibit some normal functions in your body, such as blood flow and the repair and building of new cells.

“Fat is one of the main building blocks of a living, functioning person,” explains Dr. Gillian Goddard, MD, general endocrinologist and adjunct assistant professor of medicine at NYU Langone Hospital. “Fat is certainly not just an inert storage for excess energy or excess calories.”

Learn about the role of body fat and the differences between its different types.

1. White fat

“White fat cells are large blobs with a large lipid (fat) droplet in the middle and a small rim of cellular machinery,” explains Goddard. White fat is what mainly stores excess energy.

There are two forms of white fat that you are probably familiar with: subcutaneous and visceral.

Subcutaneous fat

For most people, subcutaneous fat is primarily made up of white fat cells and is the layer of fatty tissue just beneath the skin. It’s mainly found in your arms, legs and stomach, storing excess calories and helping you stay warm as a natural layer of insulation.

“When you maintain a healthy body weightsubcutaneous fat does not tend to be metabolically deleterious or contribute to insulin resistance“, says Goddard. In accordance with the body positivity movementit is entirely possible to have curves and be fit.

That said, if you’ve ever seen a photo of yourself and thought twice about posting it because of the pale skin on your legs (i.e. cellulite), subcutaneous fat is involved. Cellulite occurs when fat breaks through the connective tissue under the skin.

Visceral fat

If you want to label one type of fat as “bad fat,” it would be visceral fat or deep fat. It’s made up entirely of white fat cells and forms in your abdomen and around your organs. Having some visceral fat is normal, but excessive amounts can increase your risk diabetes and other serious illnesses, such as liver dysfunction.

“Visceral fat is one of the main contributing factors to the health consequences stemming from excess body fat,” says Goddard.

Perhaps the clearest indication of excess visceral fat is having a hard “beer belly,” but you also need to pay attention to waistline. If you are a woman with a waist measurement greater than 35 inches or a man with a waist measurement greater than 40, you likely have enough visceral fat to be negatively impacting your health.

2. Brown fat

One of the biggest changes in the definition of body fat types over the past decade – and potentially the most confusing – was the addition of a new category: brown fat.

Compared to white fat, brown fat cells contain a small lipid droplet and much denser cellular components, which is why they appear brown. These components include the mitochondria, where fatty acids and glucose (sugar) are burned, producing heat.

Contrary to all your preconceptions about lazy fat cells, they are a metabolically active type of fat, which is currently being studied for its potential use in treat obesity.

“In the past, it was thought that only infants had brown fat,” says Goddard. “However, adults also have brown fat.” Brown fat helps regulate body temperature, which is why babies have so much of it. But once you build muscle to keep you warm, you lose most of that “baby fat.”

In adults, it is found in the areas where your neck connects to your torso, above your collarbone, and along the spine. The amount also varies between individuals.

Although this type of fat burns calories, it is difficult to gain them. Unfortunately, it certainly doesn’t involve drinking pints of ice cream.

“Researchers have found that exposing yourself to cold temperatures can help develop it,” says Goddard. But it’s not as simple as going for a run in shorts on a cold morning – or standing in the freezer section debating ice cream flavors. Some studies found that prolonged exposure to temperatures of 60 degrees or lower can trigger its production.

3. Beige grease

When it comes to the adipose spectrum, beige fat occupies something of a gray area. Research suggests that mice are able to convert white fat cells into what is called beige fat, and that this “browning” of white fat cells This could also happen in humans.

Typically found in pea-sized deposits near the collarbone and spine, beige fat is like brown fat in that it burns calories and produces heat. But like brown fat, beige fat is a relatively recent discovery and much remains unknown, Goddard says.