An In-Depth Look at How You Get Fat: You Acquire More Rather than Bigger Fat Cells

Scientists from the National Institute of Health in Bethesda, Maryland (Jo. 2010) have investigated the exact cellular pathways of weight or rather fat gain. They report:

We found a qualitatively universal adipose tissue remodeling process in all four fat depots: 1), There is continuous recruitment of new cells under weight gain; 2), the growth and shrinkage of larger cells (diameter >50 μm) is proportional to cell surface area; and 3), cell loss occurs under prolonged weight gain, with larger cells more susceptible.

It needs some interpretation of the results to understand their significance in view of staying lean in the first place. Normally, you would mean it does not depend if one fat cell holds a certain amount of fat or if this fat is held by two different cells. Unfortunately, it is a) much easier to "empty" one big fat cell which is about to burst anyway than two smaller cells and b) even if you emptied them completely that would leave you with more fat in the case of two cells than in the case of just one. In the end, by continuously multiplying the amount of fat cells you carry, you end up in a state, when even with all of them being empty you look either still obese or carry leaps of "empty fat" which has to be removed surgically. Consider that before you go onto your next 6 week "bulk" Mr BodyBuilder ;-)