Hormonal
Adult humans possess active brown adipose tissue (BAT) capable of thermogenesis, primarily located in supraclavicular and neck regions, which is acutely activated by cold exposure via sympathetic nervous system stimulation.
Adults likely have functional brown fat in their neck and collarbone area. It activates when you are cold, burning energy and helping clear glucose from your blood. You don't need to do anything special to have it, but you need to be cold enough for it to turn on. This challenges the old idea that adults don't have this fat.
We conclude that a substantial fraction of adult humans possess active brown adipose tissue that thus has the potential to be of metabolic significance for normal human physiology as well as to become pharmaceutically activated in efforts to combat obesity.
Why this rating
Based on multiple PET/CT studies and pharmacological blockade experiments, though prevalence estimates vary.
Source
Unexpected evidence for active brown adipose tissue in adult humans
Jan Nedergaard et al. · American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2007
DOI 10.1152/ajpendo.00691.2006
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