Energy balance
Activation of brown adipose tissue in adult humans contributes significantly to total energy expenditure and is negatively correlated with BMI, with activation observed in lean but not obese patients in some studies.
Adults can have functional brown fat that burns calories, especially if they are lean. However, this mechanism may be less active in obese individuals. While cold exposure might help, it is not a guaranteed weight loss solution for everyone, particularly those with obesity.
It was estimated that even small amounts of active brown adipose tissue could lead to a significant increase in basal energy expenditure thus promoting weight loss... Conversely, a negative correlation of the occurrence of detectable brown adipose tissue and the body mass index (BMI) was reported. Activation of brown adipose tissue could only be observed in lean but not obese patients.
Why this rating
Based on multiple human studies cited (references 1-5, 11-14), but the paper notes that clinical efficacy for weight reduction in humans is still to be fully determined.
Source
The origin and definition of brite versus white and classical brown adipocytes
Matthias Rosenwald et al. · Adipocyte · 2013
DOI 10.4161/adip.26232
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