Obesity is a problem not only in North America but increasingly throughout the developed world. One biological factor contributing is the ratio of "bad" white fat to "good" brown fat. Brown fat burns calories to produce warmth.
Columbia Engineering, a publication of Columbia University, reports research which harvested "bad" white fat from individuals, converted it into "good" brown fat outside the body, and reinjected it into the person from which it originally came. Hat tip to RealClearScience for the link.
Because the reinjected fat is from the individual's own body, tissue rejection should be less of an issue. This technique potentially could be a major factor in controlling the weight-gain tendency of those of us who spend many hours a day staring at a screen, instead of exercising. It might also help the chronically cold feel less chilly.
