Hormonal
Brown adipose tissue (BAT) and inducible beige/brite adipocytes in adult humans actively oxidize metabolic substrates to dissipate energy as heat, a process mediated by uncoupling protein-1 (UCP1) and sympathetic nervous system activation, which is negatively associated with obesity.
Adult humans possess active brown and beige fat, particularly in the neck and upper trunk, which burns energy as heat. This activity is linked to leanness and can be stimulated by cold exposure or specific hormonal factors. While not a magic bullet, leveraging this biology (e.g., through cold exposure) may support weight management efforts.
Brown adipocytes thus harbor numerous highly oxidative, naturally uncoupled mitochondria that actively oxidize metabolic substrates for the sole purpose of dissipating chemical energy as heat... indications that BAT activity may be negatively associated with obesity has led to recently renewed interest in BAT biology.
Why this rating
The paper is a review of observational and rodent studies; human data is largely correlational (PET scans) or from specific pathological states (pheochromocytoma).
Source
White, Brown, Beige/Brite: Different Adipose Cells for Different Functions?
Marta Giralt et al. · Endocrinology · 2013
DOI 10.1210/en.2013-1403
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