INFOGRAPHIC

The Body Fat That’s Good for You

By Amanda Doyle
Reviewed by Claudia Levi, R.N.
May 22, 2025
Did You Know? There are different types of body fat — and not all are considered unhealthy. Some fat, called brown fat, is important for helping you improve your metabolism, staying warm when you’re cold, and decreasing several health risks. Sources: Saito M., et al. Thermogenic Brown Fat in Humans: Implications in Energy Homeostasis, Obesity and Metabolic Disorders. (2023) World Journal of Men’s Health.

Body fat is important to our health. Many people are familiar with white fat, which stores extra energy. However, when you have too much white fat, it can lead to obesity and inflammation in the body.

But there’s also brown fat, which tends to be stored subcutaneously (under the skin) rather than viscerally (around the organs). According to research, brown fat matters because it can help use energy for heat, improve metabolism, and decrease the risks of conditions such as diabetes, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure.

People who have a higher BMI tend to have less brown fat than people with a healthy BMI. Researchers are still trying to figure out how to harness the advantages of brown fat to help people lose weight to improve their health.