F.A.T. This small, three letter word influences most of our lives. It defines the way we look and are accepted or rejected in society and it charts our health, especially where the heart is concerned.  Fat has never been synonymous with anything good. So who would have thought that fat — the most unwanted, unsightly form of mass in our body — could have some advantages too?

Having a flip side is something we have associated with cholesterol only; doctors have been focusing on the pros of HDL (high density lipo-proteins) and the severe cons of LDL (low density lipo-proteins). We know that not all cholesterol is harmful. Well, it turns out that not even all body fat is harmful.

Contrary to what we have always believed, it has been proven recently that most of us store a type of ‘good fat’ that actually helps the body by generating heat, burning calories and fighting obesity!

How are white and brown fats different?

Good fat is medically known as ‘brown adipose tissue’ while bad fat — better known as ‘white fat’ — is actually yellowish and accumulates around the waistline, thighs and hips.

Good fat burns calories while bad fat stores them Brown fat is mostly found in newborns. It’s arranged in little pockets along the shoulders and makes up about five per cent of an infant’s total body mass, working as insulation. Brown fat generates extra heat to help babies maintain their core temperature.

Almost all adults have small deposits of brown fat around their collarbones and in their necks. Women have twice as much on average as men. But even so, most women have only about a half-ounce of brown fat. Not enough to lose weight.

Scientists are trying to devise new ways of weight loss, and while conventional methods involve a reduction of food intake, this is a new tack, a new development. The challenge is increasing the stores of brown fat in an adult body and charging it up to burn off the bad fat. Three ounces of brown fat is enough to burn 400 to 500 calories per day. The challenge is to store it and then stimulate it.

Knowing and controlling the fat in your body  It’s no rocket science that the accumulation of fatty deposits in the body is what takes us towards obesity and all sorts of health risks. But how, you might ask, does the body store all that fat.

Fat cells are tiny plastic bags that hold a drop of fat each. When you eat food that contains fat — those halwa puri breakfasts, nehari and paaya brunches, fried foods, etc. — the body breaks down the large fat particles and absorbs them into the blood stream. Gradually, through a complex process, this fat in the blood stream starts depositing around the body, in most dangerous locations that then obstruct the body’s normal mechanisms.

It is important to keep a check on the fat quantity in your body. The ideal percentage of fat is 17 to 22 per cent; 14 per cent is essential fat. Make sure you measure your fat content regularly, easily done by a doctor or a nutritionist.

The most obvious way to control your body’s fat content is, of course, watching what you eat and steering clear of fatty foods. An average person needs 2,200 calories to maintain a healthy diet and out of that total, around 600-800 should come from fat. That means boiling your egg instead of frying it, using less oil, eating lean meat cuts, and choosing white meat when opting for chicken.

This is where the protein diet comes in. While I never recommend high protein and fat-based diets (which have rapid weight loss results but adverse long term health effects), I do recommend the low-protein, white meat diet. This is based on lean meat, vegetables (mostly green and non-starchy) and fruit, in controlled portions. Luckily, curbing the amount of processed carbohydrates you eat also helps you dig into fat deposits.

When you cut down your intake of carbs, the body reaches into its own reserves for energy. That energy comes from the fat deposits, which are broken down and passed out. This is also why it’s crucial to drink copious amounts of water. Water carries the fat out and not drinking enough puts pressure on the kidneys. Remember that as your body breaks down fat, the number of fat cells remains the same; each fat cell simply gets smaller.

The second way to control the fat in the body is to burn off what you eat. Exercise is an essential supplement and walking is the best way to begin. Stay away from fat, stay fit and stay healthy!

The author is an obesity and weight management consultant.