This article is for health education purposes only and is intended for informational reference. It does not constitute medical advice; please consult a professional doctor if you have any health concerns.
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When the weather turns cold, people tend to eat more, feel colder, and store fat more easily. But hidden inside the body is a type of "good fat" — the cooler the weather, the more active it becomes, burning fat specifically to generate heat. It's called brown fat, and it's mainly found in the neck and behind the collarbone.
First, the evidence. A study in the New England Journal of Medicine used scans to find that under mild cold exposure at about 16°C, 23 out of 24 young men showed detectable active brown fat; the greater the body weight and body fat, the lower its activity tended to be[1][2].
It's different from ordinary fat. White fat stores fat, while brown fat contains large amounts of heat-generating structures. When it's cold, it gets activated and directly burns fat and sugar to produce heat.
It can also be "trained" into shape. A Japanese study had people spend 2 hours a day in an environment of about 17°C for 6 weeks, and their brown fat activity increased, heat production rose, and body fat decreased as a result[3]. In diabetes patients who underwent mild cold exposure for 10 days, insulin sensitivity improved by an average of about 43%[5]; repeated cold exposure can also increase nonshivering thermogenesis[4].
But don't rush to freeze yourself. The studies used mild cooling, not shivering-level cold. People with cardiovascular disease, the elderly, and pregnant women should not force themselves to endure low temperatures; regular exercise, wearing one less layer in autumn, and spending more time walking outdoors can also help the body generate heat.
One-sentence action tip: This autumn, don't always bundle up until you sweat. Spend more time walking outdoors in mild coolness and keep exercising — let that good fat do the work for you.
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Disclaimer: This article is for health education purposes only and is intended for informational reference. It does not constitute medical advice; please consult a professional doctor if you have any health concerns. Individuals with cold intolerance, cardiovascular disease, or those currently taking medication should not attempt cold exposure on their own.
Conflict of interest statement: The content of this article is based on publicly published medical literature, and the author has no relevant conflicts of interest.
References
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Cold-activated brown adipose tissue in healthy men. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(15):1500-1508. PMID:19357405
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Identification and importance of brown adipose tissue in adult humans. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(15):1509-1517. PMID:19357406
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Recruited brown adipose tissue as an antiobesity agent in humans. J Clin Invest. 2013;123(8):3404-3408. PMID:23867622
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Cold acclimation recruits human brown fat and increases nonshivering thermogenesis. J Clin Invest. 2013;123(8):3395-3403. PMID:23867626
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Short-term cold acclimation improves insulin sensitivity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Nat Med. 2015;21(8):863-865. PMID:26147760
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