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| - Last Updated on May 19, 2022 by Team THIP
Quick Take
A social media post claims fat cells (adipose cells) don’t die. We fact-checked and found the claim to be False.
The Claim
A Facebook video shows a man claiming, “brain cells unlive, skin cells unalive, heck even hair cells unalive, but the fat cells seem to have accepted Jesus Christ as their lord and savior for now they have eternal life 😤 FIX IT 😅”.
Fact Check
What are fat cells?
Fat cells, also known as adipose cells, are connective tissue cells specialised for synthesising and storing fat. Fat cells are crucial for storing energy and meeting the demand during energy deprivation.
Do fat cells not die?
No. Like all other cells, fat cells also die. It seems the video is a joke about the difficulty of losing weight. A study has shown that 10% of fat cells die every year and new cells form to replace the dead cells.
As we searched for more studies that can explain the relation between fat cells and obesity, we found a (2019) research that suggests the number of fat cells does not have an effect on obesity. This MDPI research states, “adipocytes expand cell size and number to compensate the need for increased lipid storage. These cells inevitably reach a limit at which additional anabolic pressure cannot be accommodated, due to cell and tissue expansion limitations. Reaching this threshold causes stress in adipocytes and initiates an inflammatory program in response to this stress.”
In conclusion, obesity or excessive fat in the body is related to an increase in the size of the fat cells, not number.
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