Newly Discovered Fat Cell May Pose Health Threat

They'll be eating in the streets
And the kids can't see their feet
And the morsels that they worship they'll eat some...
Meet the new fat cell.
Same as the old fat cell.

(apologies to The Who)

As if fat weren't troublesome enough, a research team at the University of Colorado School of Medicine has discovered a new type of fat cell with potentially harmful characteristics.

The body stores energy in fat -- either white or brown cells. But over time too much fat can cause health issues. Previously, the researchers at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus had traced certain fat cells back to bone marrow. It appeared likely that a type of stem cell (the hematopoietic cell) was getting into the blood stream and settling somewhere else.

The latest research, which used laboratory mice but applies to humans, demonstrates that is the case. It shows that these stem cells travel through the blood stream into fat tissue and tend to accumulate in deep abdominal fat, primarily of females. This new type of fat may affect the body's ability to dispose of fats and sugars, and produces inflammatory problems. The results also help explain why fat in different parts of the body behaves differently. The research team now is detailing the health threats these fat cells cause and looking for ways to halt the formation and accumulation of harmful fat.

The best way is not too overconsume Calories, idiots.