When the food you eat supplies more calories than your body can use, the excess energy is stored as fat. In extreme cases, fat accumulates to the point of obesity, creating health risks. For example, people suffering from obesity face an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular problems. But some accumulation of fat in your body is necessary for normal body function.
Function
Fat is a much more efficient means of storing energy than other types of energy storage. For example, glycogen is a form of stored energy your body uses to store excess glucose from carbohydrates. Glycogen accumulates in your muscles and liver; when necessary, your body uses it to fuel muscle contractions and other bodily activities. But a pound of fat can hold six times as much energy as a pound of glycogen, making it the superior means of storing energy for long-term needs.
Factors
Your eating and exercise habits greatly affect your fat accumulation, but many other contributing factors exist. For example, your genetics and metabolism affect how much fat you accumulate, where you store it and how difficult it is to shed weight. In other words, the fat you accumulate is the result of a complex interaction of body hormones that affect appetite, energy levels, rate of energy storage and many other factors, as well as physical characteristics you inherited from your parents.
Location
Besides serving as a storage medium for energy, fat provides cushioning. For example, a layer of adipose tissue, or stored fat, protects delicate organs, such as your kidneys. Adipose tissue also protects reproductive organs, which is why women typically have a greater accumulation of fat around the hips. Extra fat storage in the breasts helps mothers provide babies with sufficient calories.
Cellulite
Sometimes fat accumulations push against the connective tissue beneath your skin, creating a lumpy texture. This is known as cellulite, and it occurs mainly on your thighs, butt and stomach. The skin may look puckered, dimpled or lumpy. Liposuction, injection of medications and other medical treatments might not permanently solve the problem, so a more effective strategy for eliminating cellulite might be losing weight. Note that many factors affect whether you develop cellulite, including your genes, gender, body fat percentage, age and skin thickness. Consult your doctor to determine whether losing excess body fat might help decrease your cellulite.
