Scientists Discover a New Type of Belly Fat—Here's What It Can Mean for Your Health

Health discoveries are constantly reshaping our understanding of the human body, offering new insights into diseases, treatments, and overall well-being. From groundbreaking genetic research to unexpected links between lifestyle and longevity, scientific advancements continue to improve the way we prevent, diagnose, and manage health conditions.

Scientists have recently identified unique subtypes of fat cells that may help explain the connection between belly fat and poor health. This discovery could pave the way for new medical treatments.
Here’s what you need to know about this surprising discovery!

Disclaimer: Content is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute of medical advice. Seek guidance of your doctor regarding your health and medical conditions.

New fat cell subtypes could unlock obesity treatments.

Scientists have identified unique subtypes of fat cells in the human body, uncovering their potential role in obesity. By studying these cells, researchers found they may contribute to conditions like inflammation and insulin resistance.

The study, published on Jan. 24 in Nature Genetics, suggests that understanding these fat cell variations could lead to new therapies targeting obesity-related health issues.

“Finding these [fat] subtypes is something very surprising,” said study co-author Esti Yeger-Lotem, a professor of computational biology at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. “This opens up all kinds of potential future work.”

Fat cells are more complex than scientists once believed.

Fat cells are far more diverse and complex than previously thought, according to new research. Scientists now understand that fat tissue does more than just store energy—it actively communicates with the brain, muscles, and liver to regulate appetite, metabolism, and body weight.

“If something is wrong there,” within the fat tissue, “it affects other places in the body,” Yeger-Lotem said.

Not all fat is equal: scientists identify unique fat cell subtypes

While excess fat increases health risks, not all fat behaves the same. Visceral fat—deep in the abdomen—is linked to heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, while subcutaneous fat under the skin is less harmful. Research suggests visceral fat is more proinflammatory, contributing to obesity-related health issues.

To better understand what might be happening inside fat tissues, Yeger-Lotem and her colleagues charted a “cell atlas” of adipocytes (fat cells) as part of the Human Cell Atlas, a global project that aims to map all the cells in the human body. They found most cells stored energy, but some had unique functions. These included angiogenic adipocytes (promoting blood vessel growth), immune-related adipocytes, and extracellular matrix adipocytes (supporting cell structure).

According to endocrinologist Niklas Mejhert, these cells play a role in fat tissue “remodeling,” which, if dysregulated, could lead to inflammation and metabolic issues. This discovery sheds light on how fat influences health and obesity.

New fat cell subtypes may explain belly fat’s harmful effects.

The study also found differences in the newly identified fat cell types depending on where they were located. Unconventional adipocytes in visceral fat appeared more likely to interact with the immune system than those in subcutaneous fat, said Esti Yeger-Lotem. This connection to immune cells suggests these subtypes may contribute to visceral fat’s proinflammatory nature, helping explain why belly fat is linked to poorer health.

If these fat subtypes can be linked to human disease, understanding how they work could “help us fight inflammatory processes,” Yeger-Lotem said. That could potentially help doctors predict the risk of insulin resistance in people with obesity, assuming all the dots connect, she added.

Nutritional sciences professor Daniel Berry noted that the study had a relatively small sample size and only suggests, rather than confirms, that these fat cells have unusual functions. Still, “these insights highlight the importance of understanding fat depots’ unique behaviors to develop targeted treatments for obesity and related diseases,” he said.

This discovery highlights just how much we still have to learn about the complexities of the human body. This new discovery reinforces the fascinating idea that science is always evolving, and there’s still so much to uncover about the human body. To reveal things you may not know about your body, check our article about it!