Is adipose tissue oversold as a health risk?

A high percentage of body fat is considered to be the primary cause of risks associated with high body weight. Yet body fat content per se may not cause the risks. The contribution of obesity to risks may be because overfilled adipose tissue cannot remove offending substances from circulation. The ability to remove excess glucose, lipids, and offending materials from circulation, not the amount of body fat, may be the important factor. People with large, partially filled adipose depots may have less risk than people with small, but filled adipose depots. This concept is supported by many studies. Energy restriction in genetically obese animals greatly increases longevity and slows signs of aging even while the animals remain obese. Weight reduction often corrects weight-associated medical problems in obese persons without returning body-fat levels to normal. Statistically generated desirable body-fat contents or desirable height-weight tables may have little meaning for individuals and may cause more harm than good. Because these standards are not appropriate for some people, they should be discarded as a guide for all. More emphasis should be placed on healthy lifestyles and less on body-fat percentages.