2352 Chillin' Chubbies

Having problems with your diet or exercise routine? Science may have found a cool new way to shed those pounds. And I do mean cool. They recommend you ice your fat.

Excellent. A whole new marketing opportunity for Dairy Queen. That whole "Grill and Chill" thing could be redirected. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Here's the theory. Scientists know humans have two distinct types of fat tissue; white fat, which fuels muscle but also causes chubbiness, and brown fat, which readily sheds when your body uses it to generate heat.

Research has indicated that you could actually shiver off your pounds by subjecting yourself to more cold in the winter. Or turning the thermostat down in your home. Which doesn't make complete sense, as fat is an insulator and whales use it to great effect when they add it on to protect against cold. 

But humans ain't whales I guess. Although you might want to challenge that assessment when you see some of the folks wandering around Whale-mart. 

Anyhow, scientists found out another type of fat, beige fat, appears with extreme cold. And that you could convert white fat to beige fat simply by holding an ice pack on it. In controlled tests, volunteers held ice packs on the fatty areas of their thighs and were successful changing the color of their fat from white to beige. Beige fat also burns off easily to generate heat.

So after your next meal, sit in your recliner with an icepack on your tummy fat and see what happens. It might help you take off a couple of pounds. 

Or get yourself a grilled meal at DQ and be sure to order an ice cold Blizzard. Then hold the Blizzard on your belly and chill... your fat away. 

America, ya gotta love it.