Body Fat-- The Good, The Bad, & The Dangerous

Eat Smart, Move More NC reports a whopping 67% of North Carolina adults are overweight or obese. We're also the 5th worst in the US for childhood obesity. Excess weight can lead to, contribute to, or worsen many common health issues. Studies have also shown that excess weight can impact some people's quality of life & even their finances.

Fat is necessary & important-- both in our food (last week's blog post) & in our bodies. Not all fat is created equal, though.
- There are different kinds of body fat. Some people have small amounts of the healthier brown fat in their neck & shoulders. Certain healthy behaviors (e.g., being physically active, getting enough sleep, etc.) or significant trauma are thought to help encourage brown fat. One benefit of brown fat is an extra 100 - 300 calories burned daily. (To put this into perspective, this would roughly take 2-4 weeks to burn off 1 pound).
- Where you carry your fat actually matters, too. Abdominal fat tends to be linked to more health issues than thigh & buttock fat. Even people who look skinny may have a dangerous amount of visceral fat around their internal organs. Too much can increase your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, dementia, & certain cancers.

For more information, check out:
- WebMD's Fat Facts Quiz
- Cleveland Clinic's Do You Know the Color of Body Fat? (infographic)
- Women's Health's What's the Difference Between White Fat & Brown Fat?
- WebMD's How 'Bad' Fat Can Turn Into 'Good' Fat 
- Cleveland Clinic's Build Fat to Get Fit-- Brown Fat...
- WebMD's The Truth About Belly Fat