Fat cells

rosseega

Somone mentioned to me yesterday that basically you add fat cells as you gain weight and fat cells never go away ... they just shrink as you loose weight. Does this mean that it is impossible for me to get as lean as I was when I was younger (which is basically what they were suggesting). I am close to my target weight down 45 lb from my start weight and just working on getting rid of the last few pounds of fat around my midsection.

AlabasterVerve

I've heard that too but it really doesn't make any sense to me...don't cells die? It's an interesting question though so hopefully someone who knows the answer will come along.

Nikiki

Close but not quite right, you add fat to your fat cells growing them not adding new fat cells. The only way to get rid of fat cells is liposuction but with diet and exercise you can shrink the fat cells down and grow your lean muscle.

There have been studies done to show that the heavier you get the harder it is to lose and maintain at the lower weight, however a quick stroll through the success forum will show you hundreds of people who have done just that so I feel like those studies are not a death sentence.

yarwell

I watched a TV program last night about why some people get fat and others stay slim. On that they showed how fat cells enlarge to increase storage but ultimately add new cells as there's a limit to how big they get. They said that the ability to add new fat cells is greater when your young / growing up so obese kids will have a lot more cells present.

rosseega

Thanks for the replies. I'll keep at it and see what happens.

Azdak

I watched a TV program last night about why some people get fat and others stay slim. On that they showed how fat cells enlarge to increase storage but ultimately add new cells as there's a limit to how big they get. They said that the ability to add new fat cells is greater when your young / growing up so obese kids will have a lot more cells present.

This is the correct answer. The process is called hyperplasia. The only small point of disagreement would be the context in which it sounds like this was presented. While hyperplasia can occur in adults, you have to be at a high level of obesity before this occurs--it is likely not something the average overweight person will ever experience. Many people regain lost weight, but it has almost nothing to do with increased fat cells.

LabRat529

Somone mentioned to me yesterday that basically you add fat cells as you gain weight and fat cells never go away ... they just shrink as you loose weight. Does this mean that it is impossible for me to get as lean as I was when I was younger (which is basically what they were suggesting). I am close to my target weight down 45 lb from my start weight and just working on getting rid of the last few pounds of fat around my midsection.

That's not really correct. Cells (all cells) can grow and/or divide throughout life. "Grow" means they just get bigger or shoot out more fingers and whatnot. "Divide" means they produce more cells.

The thing is... there are a lot of different types of cells that STOP dividing at different stages of life. Neurons are a classic example. They divide during development, but not after. An adult cannot generate more brain cells. Likewise, fat cells stop dividing after childhood. They don't stop growing, however. When you gain weight, you stuff the fat cells full of fat. When you lose weight, you empty the fat cells.

NoAdditives

I watched a TV program last night about why some people get fat and others stay slim. On that they showed how fat cells enlarge to increase storage but ultimately add new cells as there's a limit to how big they get. They said that the ability to add new fat cells is greater when your young / growing up so obese kids will have a lot more cells present.

I read something along these lines one time. The article said that the body stops producing new fat cells after puberty, and that in adulthood the fat cells just increase in size, not in number. The article was highlighting why it's so important to prevent obesity in children.