Why Do People Gain Weight? Where Does Fat Accumulate?
Why Do People Gain Weight? It’s common knowledge: when the energy we consume isn’t fully expended, the excess is stored as fat for future needs. However, in today’s comfortable lifestyle, true hunger is rare, and these "emergency reserves" keep accumulating—turning into stubborn, unwanted flab. Digging deeper, fat tissue comes in two types: white fat and brown fat . White fat, the most prevalent, is what we typically think of as "fat." It’s found under the skin (subcutaneous) and around organs (visceral), making up about 20% of a man’s body weight and 25% of a woman’s . Under a microscope, white fat cells contain a large lipid droplet, with the nucleus pushed aside—like a passenger squeezed next to a large seatmate. Research shows that fat cell count stays constant; weight changes depend on the size of these lipid droplets, not the number of cells. Where Does Fat Settle? English has colorful terms for belly fat: Muffin Top : The sof...