How Fat Cells Work
Slate gives us a glimpse of new research on how fat cells work:
The authors of the study showed that by the time we end adolescence, our number of adipocytes has been set. Heavy people begin adulthood with more fat cells, and lighter people with fewer, and the numbers won’t change as we age or as we become more obese or leaner. The only thing that does change, if we gain or lose weight, is how plump with fat each cell becomes. Meanwhile, however, even though the total adipocyte number remains constant, the cells themselves don’t just sit there getting bigger and smaller. Instead, they constantly turn over. Whether you are heavy or lean, losing weight or gaining it, the same rule applies—every year about 10 percent of your body’s fat cells die, and they are replaced by the same number of new ones.
This would appear to help explain why fat children become fat adults, and the importance of good diet early on.
