Cambridge: People do everything possible to get rid of obesity. Exercise, food intake and timing are strictly controlled, with no medication or surgery being avoided.
Researchers have tried to find out how brown fat can be activated in a study. Brown fat is a useful fat in the body that burns large amounts of calories in cold conditions.
Unlike the harmful white fat that accumulates on the abdomen and causes obesity, scientists believe the accumulation of brown fat is better for helping people lose weight.
If this fat can be activated at any time other than feeling cold, it can help with desired weight loss.
A cure is still a long way from being developed, but scientists have come one step closer to a cure by revealing the detailed molecular structure of a protein that causes brown fat to burn calories.
A protein called uncoupling protein 1 (UCP 1) is a scientific mystery, and researchers want to understand how this protein activates to burn calories.
But now scientists have some insight after finding the position of the two gates inside the protein during inactivation.
When this protein is inactive, its inner gate is closed and the outer gate is open. Scientists believe that when these proteins are active, the position of these gates will be reversed.
Professor Edmond Kinjee, who led the research from the University of Cambridge, said the structure of the protein would help scientists understand how to activate it.
