The Battle of the Bulge

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The more scientists discover about fat cells, the more urgent it becomes to lose excess weight.  It is estimated that there are over a billion seriously over weight people in the world.  Scientists used to think body fat was just an inert oily storage device.  But recent research has shown that fat cells are chemical factories that secrete hormones and other substances which can have harmful effects on our health.

Unfortunately fat cells have a great capacity to make more of themselves.  When we have too many of them they spew out substances that increase our chances of getting a number of illnesses, including cancer.

A lean adult has about forty billion fat cells.  But obese people have two or three times this number.  And their fat cells are larger, with up to 75% more mass than fat cells in lean people.  These cells are long lived and always eager to reproduce themselves.  The best way to reduce the number of fat cells and shrink them is through diet and exercise.

Although heart disease and diabetes are the main risk factors associated with obesity, it also increases the risk for nine types of cancer.  One study estimated that excess weight may account for more than fourteen per cent of all cancer deaths in North America, some ninety thousand a year.

So next time the dessert looks particularly tempting, skip the second helping and take a brisk walk instead.