Study Claims Exposure to Cold Climate Helps with Weight Loss

A team of international scientists have said that mild cold temperature help weight loss.

Researchers blame warm and cozy environment for deposition of excess fat around waistline.

The study, conducted by researchers at Maastricht University Medical Center, Nertherlands, claims that constant exposure to mild cold temperature is healthy as it helps in boosting weight loss. With this study, the researchers partly blame cozy and warm environment at home and office for the expanding waistline.

"Since most of us are exposed to indoor conditions 90 percent of the time, it is worth exploring health aspects of ambient temperatures," said first author of the article Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt of Maastricht University Medical Center. "What would it mean if we let our bodies work again to control body temperature? We hypothesize that the thermal environment affects human health and more specifically that frequent mild cold exposure can significantly affect our energy expenditure over sustained time periods."

Studies conducted in the past showed that adults carry the brown adipose tissue that is commonly called as brown fat.  The calorie-burning brown fat is not just found in babies, but is also found in adults.

A study conducted by Japanese researchers had discovered that people, who spent two hours a day at 17 degree Celsius (62.6 degrees F) for nearly six weeks, witnessed a reduction in body fat.

In this study the researchers discovered that people get accustomed to the cold over the period of time. Researchers also conducted another trial in which they found that people who spent six hours a day in cold for 10 days had an increase in brown fat and they also shivered less in 15 degree Celsius.

"In young and middle-aged people at least, non-shivering heat production can account for a few percent up to 30 percent of the body's energy budget.  That means lower temperatures can significantly affect the amount of energy a person expends overall," the researchers say.

The researchers suggest that apart from exercise we should train ourselves to spend more time in cold.