A Breakthrough in Detecting Brown Fat

Researchers in the UK have detected energy-burning "brown fat" through MRI for the first time according to a new published study. Thomas Barber, MBBS, DPhil, from the department of metabolic and vascular health at Warwick Medical School, said that, "The MRI allows us to distinguish between the brown fat, and the more well-known white fat that people associate with weight gain, due to the different water-to-fat ratio of the two tissue types." "We can use the scans to highlight what we term ‘regions of interest’ that can help us to build a picture of where the brown fat is located." "The potential is there for us to develop safe and effective ways of activating this brown fat to promote weight loss and increase energy expenditure." Reddy NL. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014;doi:10.1210/jc.2013-2036