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• Researchers have discovered that over half of adults carry significant amounts of a unique kind of calorie-burning fat, dubbed "brown fat."Health.com: Discovery of Cold-Activated Brown Fat (April 8, 2009) Previously known to exist in babies and small mammals, brown fat is activated by cold temperatures to actually burn calories rather than store them.WebMD: Can Brown Fat Make You Thin? (April 8, 2009) Health.com: Discovery of Cold-Activated Brown Fat (April 8, 2009)

• Fast Facts

  1. Unique adipose tissue, called "brown fat"
  2. Activated by cold temperaturesHealth.com: Discovery of Cold-Activated Brown Fat (April 8, 2009)
  3. Burns large amounts of calories in order to increase body warmth
  4. Known to exist in small mammals, including human babiesWebMD: Can Brown Fat Make You Thin? (April 8, 2009)
  5. Keeps infants warm
  6. previously not thought to exist in adults in significant amountsWebMD: Can Brown Fat Make You Thin? (April 8, 2009)
  7. Now shown that nearly all adults carry brown fat
  8. Over half of men and women carry significant amountsWebMD: Can Brown Fat Make You Thin? (April 8, 2009)
  9. Can burn over nine pounds of "white fat" per year, if activatedWebMD: Can Brown Fat Make You Thin? (April 8, 2009)
  10. Women shown to have more than menNew York Times: Calorie-Burning Fat? Studies Say You Have It (April 8, 2009)
  11. Thin people have more than overweightNew York Times: Calorie-Burning Fat? Studies Say You Have It (April 8, 2009)
  12. Young people have higher amounts that older

• 2009 Study

  In 2009, three groups of researchers published their findings on brown fat in the April issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. According to their studies, while nearly all adults carry the brown fat, at least 50% have enough to burn nine pounds of standard "white" adipose tissue per year.WebMD: Can Brown Fat Make You Thin? (April 8, 2009) The brown fat's beneficial activity was shown to be triggered by temperatures of 66 degrees and lower.New York Times: Calorie-Burning Fat? Studies Say You Have It (April 8, 2009) Thinner people were shown to carry higher levels of the brown fat, as were younger subjects.New York Times: Calorie-Burning Fat? Studies Say You Have It (April 8, 2009)

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