Why Cold Weather Could Help You Lose Weight

By SheSpeaksTeam Feb 05, 2014

For many of us, this time of year means spending a lot of time looking forward to warmer temperatures. The chilly weather may get a lot of us down but a new study reveals the bright side to these cold grey days.

CNN reports about a study published in the journal Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism that suggests regular exposure to cooler temperatures help us burn more calories. Scientists found something called brown adipose tissue (brown fat). It was found that this type of fat is activated in cooler temperatures and burns fat to create heat.

Regular exposure to cooler air might not mean much to those of us who spend most of our time indoors this time of year. Lead author of the study Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt explains, “Since most of us are exposed to indoor conditions 90% of the time, it is worth exploring health aspects of ambient temperatures. What would it mean if we let our bodies work again to control body temperature?”

But don’t go shutting your heater off in the name of weight loss just yet. Lichtenbelt advises to vary temperatures by a few degrees over a period of time. He explains that by letting our indoor temps rise and fall our body will continuously work to adjust its internal temp while burning calories to boot.

What do you think of the recent study that suggests cooler temperatures cause us to burn more calories?

Would you consider setting your thermostat a little lower if it means burning more calories?