He says there is mounting evidence that in some people, neurons in the hypothalamus that should recognize when the body has stored sufficient fat and either cut food intake or boost energy expenditure aren't working properly.

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It has even been suggested that the link may hark back to prehistoric times, when humans stored up on fat during the summer months when food was plentiful and they slept less as a result of the shorter nights.

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When looking at health risk it's not only BMI that matters, but where fat is stored.

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The fat was stored outside the cell walls, making it easier to extract without first killing the algae.

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Some additional fat is stored during pregnancy to provide a reserve for breast feeding when the baby is born.

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The process of detoxification allows the liver to convert fat solubles stored in our cells into water-soluble substances that can easily be excreted.

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If Huang or others can successfully use nanotechnology to create junk food that tastes as good as ever but has fat and sugar replacements, or perhaps employs nano-particles that prevent fat or calories from being absorbed and stored by the body, then they've got the holy grail of food.

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Low-density lipoprotein, the bad cholesterol, carries cholesterol fat to the arteries, where it gets stored as plaque in the artery wall.

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Your body begins to think food is scarce and decides to slow down its consumption of stored energy -- otherwise known as old-fashioned fat.

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