Fat Cell Facts You Should Know
Contrary to popular belief, everybody is born with a pre-determined number of fat cells. Although some people are born with a higher number of fat cells, women in general have more than their male counterparts. Babies usually have 5 to 6 billion fat cells which steadily increase during puberty. By the time we reach adulthood, we already have 25 to 30 billion fat cells.
Many believe that we reach the maximum number of fat cells during adulthood and weight gain could be attributed to fat cells increasing in size. But today’s studies have shown that fat cells do not only grow in size but also in number.
The size of fat cells increase when we energy intake is greater than what the body needs. This in turn is stored in fat cells. Overweight people have fat cells that are three times larger compared to an average person.
An increase in the number of fat cells could be seen in people who live a sedentary lifestyle or who don’t follow a healthy diet. This could also be seen during early puberty or late childhood. It can be seen during pregnancy and during adulthood when extreme weight is gained.
The number of fat cells remains steady even during adulthood through our later years except for people with weight problems. When fat cells have reached their maximum capacity, new fat cells are created to accommodate excess fat. Overweight adults have around 75 billion fat cells but this could triple in number for severely obese adults.
Some people consider obesity to be a genetic problem and once you have a history of weight problems keeping yourself slim could be an uphill battle. Although it is true that some of us have more fat cells compare to others, a healthy diet and active lifestyle still remains to be our best defense against recurring weight problems.
Liposuction still remains to be an effective way of reducing the number of fat cells in our body. But it can’t stop fats from coming back if you can’t maintain a healthy lifestyle. You can go for multiple liposuction treatments but does not do anything for your long term health.
Advancements in medical science have made weight loss as easy as taking a pill. Check your local supermarket and there’s bound to be a diet pill that promises an overnight solution to your weight problem. It is impossible to reduce the number of cells without the help of medical science such as liposuction but you could reduce the amount of fat stored in your body by simply exercising every day.
The number of fat cells in your body can have a huge influence on how difficult it would be to maintain your ideal weight but it is not an excuse for being overweight. This is perhaps the reason why some people have an easier time gaining weight compared to others who eat the same diet.
Surgical intervention through liposuction or abdominoplasty should always be a last resort. Just because you could afford multiple liposuction treatment does not mean you could discard a healthy diet.
The journey to a healthy lifestyle begins with having the right attitude towards diet and exercise. Create your short and long term goals keeping them as realistic as possible. Even liposuction has its limitations and severely obese people are advised to reduce their weight within safe levels.
Much of what happens in our early life can have a huge effect on the final number of fat cells in our adult years. But with childhood obesity on the rise it wouldn’t be hard to imagine that the number of obese adults in the future would also increase. It is important that we teach the younger generation the importance of eating a healthy diet and maintaining an active lifestyle. But with more children spending hours in front of the television or the computer, this could be another uphill battle.
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