Research
Energy balance
Obese individuals have less brown adipose tissue mass and activity than lean individuals, which may contribute to obesity susceptibility.
Obese individuals tend to have less active brown fat, but it is unclear if restoring it would lead to weight loss.
GoodSupportsMEDIUM confidence
obese individuals seem to have less brown adipose tissue mass/activity than do their lean counterparts.
Why this rating
Based on multiple human studies showing inverse correlation with BMI.
Source
The Implication of Brown Adipose Tissue for Humans
Éric Ravussin et al. · Annual Review of Nutrition · 2011
DOI 10.1146/annurev-nutr-072610-145209
narrative_reviewCited 165×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Brown adipose tissue generates heat through uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), which dissipates energy as heat rather than producing ATP, thereby increasing energy expenditure.Strong
- Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is present in adult humans and its activity is inversely related to body mass index, suggesting a potential role in energy expenditure and body weight regulation.Good
Related findings · Energy balance
- Achieving a total body weight loss of 10-15% (or >10-15 kg) through Total Diet Replacement (TDR) induces remission of Type 2 Diabetes in individuals with short-duration disease.Strong
- Bariatric surgery is superior to medical management alone for inducing significant long-term weight loss, remission of type 2 diabetes, and reduction in mortality for patients with BMI ≥ 40 or ≥ 35 with comorbidities.Strong
- Achieving type 2 diabetes remission requires significant weight loss (≥15 kg) via major caloric restriction, independent of macronutrient composition.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →