Scientists at the University of California
discovered that staying in the cold could help us lose weight. Exposure
to the cold increases levels of a protein that helps make brown fat,
which burns energy and keeps us warm. It also helps us lose weight.
White fat stores excess energy and so we gain weight. The researchers
said that because of air conditioning and heating, we stay warm. This
means our body does not need so much brown fat. They said that workers
who work outside in cold temperatures, "have a significant amount of
brown fat when compared to same-aged indoor workers".
The research was on two
different groups of mice. One group was injected with the brown-fat
protein. This group gained 30 per cent less weight after both groups had
high-fat diets. The researchers say this could help in the fight
against obesity. Obese people have lower levels of brown fat than
thinner people. Head researcher Hei Sook Sul said: "This protein could
become an important target for research into the treatment and
prevention of obesity." She said that increasing the levels of this
protein could lead to weight loss even if people eat the same amount of
food.
