Type of body fat that is actually good for your health, would that come as a surprise?

LIEFSTYLE - You may or may not be a health enthusiast, but it’s a fact that everybody (secretly) wants to keep body fat away. Even for people struggling to gain some extra pounds, what they look forward to is not putting on some extra fats but muscles, in all honesty.
However, if we told you that there is a type of body fat that is actually good for your health, would that come as a surprise?
Yes, brown fat, found mostly in the neck region (in adults), burns energy rather than storing it, unlike its white counterpart.
What is brown fat?
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To be able to decode brown fat, we need to first understand the kinds of fats that are present in our body.
Essential fat is crucial for life and physiological functions. It is found in various tissues throughout the body and is necessary for normal hormone function, including reproductive hormones.
Brown fat plays a significant role in maintaining body temperature. Unlike other fat types, brown fat generates heat by burning calories, making it a potential target for weight loss and obesity prevention strategies.
White fat is the most abundant type in the body and stores energy. It also acts as insulation to help regulate body temperature and cushions and protects organs.
Beige fat has characteristics of both white and brown fat. It can burn calories like brown fat but is not as abundant in the body.
Subcutaneous fat is located just under the skin. It's what you can "pinch" on your body, and while it serves as insulation and energy storage, excessive amounts can be a cosmetic concern and may indicate an increased risk for certain health conditions.
Visceral fat is stored within the abdominal cavity around important internal organs such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines. High levels of visceral fat are associated with a higher risk of serious health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
However, Dr Meenakshi Jain, director of internal medicine at Max Super Speciality Hospital, Patparganj, classified body fats mainly into two categories - white fat and brown fat.
“White fat, the more common type, stores energy and is associated with obesity and various health risks when accumulated excessively. Conversely, brown fat is considered beneficial for health due to its role in burning calories to produce heat,” she said.