Dr Unger and Dr Scherer suggest that this failure of the leptin mechanism, particularly its role in oxidising lipids, is crucial to the development of metabolic syndrome, and that it is a pathology of adipose tissue that has become overloaded.

ECONOMIST: Metabolic syndrome

How this happens has been the subject of a lot of hand waving, though the tendency of adipose tissue to produce chemicals that encourage inflammation is often mentioned.

ECONOMIST: Metabolic syndrome

In a healthy mouse (one with working leptin receptors) even a diet that is 60% fat does not cause a build-up of lipids anywhere except in the adipose tissue.

ECONOMIST: Metabolic syndrome

The material was then treated with a series of enzymes and centrifuged until cells, known as adipose-derived stromal cells, remained.

BBC: Fat could 'repair injuries'

That's why we were intrigued to take a look at Nutrino, an iOS app that promises a "virtual nutritionist" service to help slice away the adipose from our stomach.

ENGADGET: Nutrino is a virtual nutritionist for iOS, we go hands-on

Fats that are taken into the body too quickly - for instance during a fast food binge - tend to be rapidly shunted to non-adipose tissues such as the liver, heart and pancreas, where they can do extensive damage to cells.

BBC: NEWS | Health | Compound to cut fatty food risk