The Weight Loss Industry Cools Down

I saw the story for Cool Shapes shorts, am I was surprised at the theory of using cold to lose weight. The shorts have pouches for you to put ice packs in "trouble" areas. The claim is that being cold makes your body burn fat.

To use the Cool Shapes shorts the company suggests freezing the gel packs for 2 hours and then place them in the shorts pouches for 30 minutes. It states that you should not use them for more than 30 minutes. They claim that you should see contouring results in 5 weeks.

In looking for information for this hub, what I found was most sources believe that brown fat is stored mostly around the neck and under the collarbone. Brown fat cells are specialized to produce heat and are therefore touted to protect from obesity. White fat tends to concentrate around the waistline, where it stores excess energy and releases chemicals that control metabolism and the use of insulin. While most stories agree that this is still a theory there is ongoing research to prove if it is a valid issue in fat storage.

It has long been known that a higher food intake results in a higher metabolic rate and a higher rate of heat production in tissue; and that makes sense to me. I eat far more than some of the heavier people that I know. I also eat slightly different foods, but I think most people assume that everyone that is heavy eats all of the time, and that is just not true. It also occured to me after reading this article that the people I know who are heavier than I am are naturally warmer than I am. That would mean that their body is not warming itself up. Interesting.

One possibility for the pharmaceutical companies would be a pill to stimulate a specific protein to release more energy from the fat cells in the form of heat rather than storing it for future energy needs. Another possibility is a pill that stimulates nerve endings inside brown fat to make it burn more calories. And researchers have been injecting certain genes into mice to try to produce brown fat cells instead of white ones.

There were many articles from impressive sources when I Googled information, such as JAMA, MSN, and University of Minnesota Extension just to name a few.

Does it work? I don't know, but it is a no prescription easy and seemingly safe concept to try. As always check with your doctor prior to beginning any weight/fat loss plan to ensure it is safe for you.