WHERE DOES FAT COME FROM?

Carbohydrates, whether they enter your mouth in the form of simple or complex carbohydrates, are eventually broken down into glucose. The glucose is then used for energy or stored in the muscle cells and liver for future use. This stored glucose is called glycogen. Excess glucose is also driven into the fat cells and stored as tryiglycerides (fat).

Fat cells are called adipocytes (ad-i-po-sites). A typical adipocyte looks like a large circle with a small circle sticking out of it. The small circle is the cell nucleus, pushed to the side by the fat that fills the adipocyte. Adipocytes are specifically designed to “grab” fat by binding with the lipoproteins that carry fat through the bloodstream.

About half of the total fat in the body is stored in fat cells just under the skin (subcutaneous). Most of the remaining fat is packed around the organs in your abdominal cavity (such as the heart, kidneys, etc.).

Overeating leads to the accumulation of excess calories, which is, of course, stored as fat. To make room for the new fat, your fat cells must expand, because you can’t manufacture new fat cells once you’ve passed adolescence. Unfortunately, fat cells are pretty pliable—it seems there’s always room for them to grow.

*2\29\2*

Share and Enjoy: