Fat
Cosmetic Surgery - Plastic Surgery - Aesthetic Medicine - Reconstructive Surgery
Adipose tissue is composed of large globular cells, the adipocytes,
that store fat in the human body. Adipose tissue, with this fat forms a
layer of thermal insulation beneath the skin, but its main role is to
provide a metabolic reserve. When the body is subject to high energy
demands (intense muscular exercise, cold climate) fats will be
mobilized and destroyed. Lipolysis (the breakdown of fats to provide
energy) takes place under hormonal control; the pituitary gland plays a
key regulatory role in this. Its dysfunction has physiological
consequences that show up in the syndromes of emaciation or obesity.
When a body is well balanced, there is not only an endocrine balance
but other factors, such as constitutional factors, also come into play,
with the number of adipocytes present in childhood and factors
regulating eating behaviour.
Adipocytes can store fat up to a certain cell size limit. Beyond this,
the adipocyte triggers the formation of a new storage cell, the
pre-adipocyte that will store the excess fat.
The adipocyte will eliminate fats from the blood, consisting mainly of
triglycerides. However, adipocytes cannot directly assimilate these
triglycerides, and will release an enzyme called lipase into the blood
to separate the triglycerides into fatty acids and glycerol. The
passage of these two elements in the adipocyte takes place by
endocytosis. Then inside the adipocyte, triglycerides are rebuilt to be
stored. This mechanism acts in reverse when triglycerides need to be
released into the bloodstream where there are energy needs.
The number of fat cells will increase until about the age of 15 years;
so we must be very attentive to children's diets during this time to
avoid establishing a breeding ground for obesity.
The abnormally high development of adipocytes in some parts of the
human body is the source of fatty deposits. This build-up is called
cellulite.
This fat, stored in the form of fat deposits, is resistant to
different diets. There is a way to eliminate these localized fat
deposits, it is lipoaspiration or liposuction performed by surgeons
trained in aesthetic, plastic or reconstructive surgery.