Personal growth plans should include more socialization
09.08.11
Brown fat is a substance in the human body, found abundantly in babies, that burns energy, keeping individuals warm while burning excess calories. By contrast, white fat stores calories and can be detrimental to a person's health.
In a study on mice, researchers at Ohio State University found that socialization helps convert white fat into brown fat, leading to a healthier body weight and brain function in the rodents.
"It's usually hard to induce the switch from white to brown fat," said co-author Matthew During. "It takes months of cold – you really have to push – and it doesn't induce brown fat to the same degree as what on the surface appears to be a relatively mild change in physical and social environments."
In order to test their theories, researchers compared the health of mice that were placed in an environment with plenty of playmates and space to move with rodents in a traditional cage, given ample food but few other mice with whom to socialize. They discovered that animals in a socially enriched atmosphere had lower levels of belly fat than those in the control group.
Additionally, mice that were socially stimulated had higher levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, a chemical known to enhance learning and memory ability.
The results of this study suggest that having a supportive network of friends and family is an important part of a personal growth plan to lose weight.
Author and philosopher Ilchi Lee says that personal growth and happiness are a matter of personal responsibility, but it never hurts to have other people around who can serve as inspirations.
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Tags: Personal growth, personal growth and happiness, personal growth plan
