Decreased brown fat markedly increass the risk to diet-induced obesity, diabetes, and elevated fats in the blood.

Brown fat tissue is present in newborn babies. People with a lot of brown fat have a "furnace" metabolism. They burn body fuels rapidly, and the more they consume, the more they burn, all the while maintaining a stable weight. A furnace metabolism thrives on carbohydrates. The more fuel they throw into the system, the more they burn, just like coals on a fire.

There are ways to change the percentage of brown fat in the body. Although most people normally do not advocate caffeine as a healthful food, research suggests that caffeine stimulates brown fat by increasing the metabolic rate. Caffeine, however, does other things that are not as positive. It can cause heart palpitations (especially in high amounts), and steals some of the vitamins in the body, such as C and B. Increasing multi-vitamins is helpful with any caffeine supplement.

Another way to increase brown fat is to exercise - specifically, to engage in aerobic exercise that uses oxygen. To be effective this exercise must raise the pulse rate from a resting level of about 70 up to 120 or so. A half-hour of vigorous walking four times a week can be very rewarding from a metabolic standpoint.

One last tip: too much sodium in the diet can deactivate the brown fat and promote water retention with consequent weight gain. So slow and steady exercises, pass on the salt, and make mine a Grande sugar-free vanilla latte. Thank you!