Did you forget to pack away your winter fat layer ?

Skinny bean poles, the few of them that still exist, are set to freeze their tooshes off in winter, because they don’t have any winter clothes.

I’m not talking about a shortage of winter woollies, but rather a shortage of the insulating fat layer which helps keep the body warm and toasty.

The fat advantage

If you are carrying a few extra kilograms – winter is probably less of health risk. Well, from an evolutionary perspective it is.

If you think back to the days when there were no heaters and if you wanted to eat, you had to go out and kill something – a few extra pounds would definitely have been a plus.

• For starters, the extra layer would have helped you keep warm.
• And, if food ran low, which was extremely likely, your fat supply could be used to sustain you, until food supplies were restored.
• Insulin resistance and a little hypertension, would also have been potentially advantageous, since both condition increase thermogenic capacity i.e. turn you into a mini heater.

Since we are talking about a time before the evening weather forecast and calendars etc. your body had to “know” when to fatten up, so that you would be able to survive the icy days of winter.

Being fat regulated by the sun

The onset of winter begins when the sun takes a holiday. The “absence” of the sun results in a drop in the levels of ultraviolet- B radiation.

The production of Vitamin D depends on UV-B light energizing cholesterol in the skin, so that it turns into a vitamin D precursor. This is eventually turned into active vitamin D, which circulates the body, turning various genes on and off.

So vitamin D is the signal used by the body to “know” when winter has arrived and when it is over.

• A drop in vitamin D levels signals it is about to get cold, really cold, so the body should put on it’s winter coat.
• At the end of winter, vitamin D levels rise, so the body “knows” it is time to put the winter clothes away.

A perfect system…………”Mother Nature” is so smart. The arrangement ensures your wardrobe matches the seasons – it keeps you warm in winter and cool in summer.

365 days of winter

A perfect system, provided you actually spend some time under the sun soaking up those UV-B rays.

But modern man typically avoids the sun, either by hiding indoors or hiding under layers of protective clothing and creams. Vitamin D deficiency / insufficiency is an invisible epidemic.

Obesity caused by very long winters ?

Obesity is also an epidemic, just a more visible epidemic…

The big question – are the two epidemics connected ?

Maybe.

Lots of studies have shown that fat people tend to have low vitamin D levels. It has been argued by some, that this is a consequence of being fat, others see it as the cause.

Put on your summer clothes

Either way, it makes sense to “fix” your vitamin D levels.

Make sure you put away your winter wardrobe and tap into a little lizard wisdom for better health. (89)

Vitamin D deficiency is the cause of common obesity. Med Hypotheses. (2009) 72(3):314-21. Foss YJ.

 

Interested in learning more about the chemistry behind those extra fat layers ?

Subcribe to E-spoons, to get e-mail updates once a month to learn how to keep your body chemistry balanced so you can burn off the extra fat.

NOTE : Privacy & spam policy. Spoonful of Science will not rent, trade or sell the e-mail list to anyone. You can unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe link.

Know someone who will find this post useful ? Share it on , ,

Further reading

Are fat people just running on a cooler setting ?	Go blue this winter to be skinny and green	A pinch of pepper produces a pyrogenic sting which melts fat

The 7 Big Spoons™…. are master switches that turn health on.

Balance Eicosanoids	Rein in insulin	Dial down stress	Sleep !	Increase Vit D	Culivate microflora	Think champion

Hire Dr Sandy from a Spoonful of Science to be the keynote speaker at your next event.

Did you learn something new or do you have a different perspective ? I’d love to hear from you so post me a comment below