
Why do some obese people have 'healthier' fat tissue than others?

One little understood paradox in the study of obesity is that overweight people who break down fat at a high rate are less healthy than peers who store their fat more effectively.
That's because when fat breaks down, many of the fatty acids released from the adipose tissue (body fat) can take up residence elsewhere. Too much of this and fat can accumulate to harmful levels in other tissues and organs, which can fuel insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
A pair of studies from the University of Michigan identifies key characteristics in fat tissue that may allow some obese adults to store their body fat more healthily and suggests that aerobic exercise may lead to healthier fat storage, said principal investigator Jeffrey Horowitz, professor of movement science at the U-M School of Kinesiology.
- Read entire article by Laura Bailey on the Michigan News website
- Watch the video, "Exercise May Make Fat Tissue Healthier"
- Study: Factors regulating subcutaneous adipose tissue storage, fibrosis, and inflammation may underlie low fatty acid mobilization in insulin-sensitive obese adults
- Study: Aerobic exercise elevates markers of angiogenesis and macrophage IL6 gene expression in the subcutaneous adipose tissue of overweight-to-obese adults
- Jeffrey Horowitz faculty profile page
- Substrate Metabolism Laboratory page