The cold can make you skinner

Question

According to this claim, the cold makes you skinner because it burns "brown fats" in our body as we generate heat.

Comments

This is misleading because the article states that there are benefits to exercising outdoors during colder temperatures because the cold helps to activate different types of fat in the body which can help burn calories. However, the article never states that the temperature can make people skinnier.

---

By looking at the article title, you could think that the cold makes you skinner, but the article does not back up that claim. Wokring out in the cold may help you burn fats , but that doesn't mean the cold makes you skinner.

---

I don't think that the cold itself makes you skinnier but it can influence your body in a way that may lead to weight changes. Specify how your body burns energy to stay warm.

Answer 1

This source is saying that there are benefits to exercising outdoors when it's cold because the temperature activates different types of fat in the body, specifically a fat that burns calories. This is because this "brown fat" burns calories to generate heat in the colder weather. However, the source does not say that the temperature makes humans "skinner" in general, it suggests that if one was looking to loose weight, they may see more of a difference in the colder months versus the warmer months.

https://weather.com/health/news/2024-01-03-weight-loss-during-winter-holiday-healthy-eating

Comments

I like how you defined how this article's claim is misleading. I wonder if you were able to find other articles to back up the information about "brown fat" or trace it back to it's original source? That could help prove if there is any aspect of truth in the claim.

---

Excellent job discerning between the conclusions drawn from the article and the information actually presented in the article. You did well to clarify that the article never says that "The cold can make you skinner [sic]" but instead has a more reputable, detailed message.

---

I like how you not only point out the problem with the claim but also mention how it misleads and where people can get confused.

Answer 2

The title of this article "How Winter Weather Impacts Your Weight Loss Journey" claims that cold weather can help with weight loss by activating “brown fat” which is partially accurate but not as straightforward as the article's title implies. Brown adipose tissue, or brown fat, does indeed play a role in generating heat when exposed to cold, which leads to increased calorie burning. This response, known as thermogenesis, happens when brown fat breaks down stored fats to generate warmth, helping maintain body temperature. Studies indicate that activating brown fat could theoretically contribute to weight management, though the effect is relatively modest and likely not significant enough on its own to result in substantial weight loss.

https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2020/people-with-brown-fat-may-burn-15-percent-more-calories#:~:text=Washington%2C%20DC%20April%2028%2C%202020,healthier%20fatty%20acid%20blood%20profile.

Comments

Great job answering with the actual reasoning and science behind this. I also appreciate the breakdown of why and how the process works, and why it may not be as beneficial as the article may make it seem.

Answer 3

While the article clearly shows that different fats, such as 'brown fat,' can be targeted in colder climates however, it does not clearly state that the cold makes you skinnier. It suggests that it may be beneficial to work out more in colder climates, but there are no hard facts guaranteeing a loss in weight. When exposed to cold climates, our 'brown fat' generates more heat, which burns more calories. While this is true, it isn't going to be the essential reason for weightloss. There are more complicated reasons such as diet, cardio, and sleep regulation that can account for weightloss.

https://weather.com/health/news/2024-01-03-weight-loss-during-winter-holiday-healthy-eating#:~:text=Research%20shared%20by%20the%20National,winter%20workouts%20even%20more%20effective.

Answer 4

After reviewing this article and looking into the website I can say that this claim is not completely false but it is misleading. The cold does not make you skinnier, but working out during winter comes with some benefits. The article is titled, “How winter weather impacts your weight loss journey” and although it is related to the cold and contribution to weight loss, that's not exactly what it's claiming. A quote from this article says, “Research shared by the National Institutes of Health has shown that cold weather can activate “brown fat” in our bodies, a type of fat that burns calories to generate heat. This means that exercising in the cold can potentially boost fat burn, making winter workouts even more effective.” This means that when you workout in cold weather your body will want to produce heat to keep you warm and with that activates brown fat. 

As stated, Tim Harris the journalist of this article got this information from the National Institute of Health. A trusted government source that came out with an article on brown fat back in 2019. Found here: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-brown-fat-improves-metabolism

In this article Harris Wein, a director at the Nation Institute of health wrote about an experiment led by Dr. Shingo Kajimura at the University of California, where they proved that colder temperatures activate more brown fat than normal temperatures. This experiment consisted of men being put in these 2 different settings and exercising while tracking their blood levels of glucose, fats, and amino acids. Linkedin to Harris Wein: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harrison-wein-5628a36/ 
 

Overall this claim seems to be used to seek attention towards the article. After looking at the website that published this piece, The Weather Channel, something that stood out to me was the footnote that said “The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.” 

Although it's a very interesting topic I feel it's important to mention that this piece might have been written for the purpose to entertain. 

Answer 5

This is misleading because the article suggests that exercising outdoors in colder temperatures can activate different types of fat in the body, potentially aiding in calorie burning. However, it never claims that colder temperatures directly lead to weight loss.

Comments

Hi Willajensen, do you have any evidence that this is false besides the article and just stating what it says? I found a couple of articles that state some of the same things. Most of them say that the cold makes you skinner, but it's not ideal. For example ABC News states, "A study done on mice at the University of Tokyo supports this idea. The researchers found that a certain type of cells called beige fat can actively break down fat and sugar to improve insulin sensitivity and increase metabolism. Beige fat was also found to help regulate energy balance." Samford Burnham Prebys kind of says something along the same line that when we are colder we burn more metabolism, which is how people lose or gain weight. But in this case, that's how people lose it.

-https://abcnews.go.com/Health/cold-lose-weight/story?id=54631686

-https://sbpdiscovery.org/does-cold-weather-promote-weight-loss/

Answer 6

This article on how winter weather impacts weight loss has some good points, but it’s a bit exaggerated and misleading. It suggests that cold weather could be a weight loss ally because of extra calorie burn from "brown fat" activation, but it doesn’t clarify that this calorie burn is usually minimal—it's not going to make up for a lot of inactivity or holiday treats. Also, the emphasis on avoiding diet "rules" is good advice, but it might lead readers to think discipline isn’t necessary at all during winter, which isn't entirely helpful for staying on track.

The article’s advice for cold-weather activities is useful, yet it oversimplifies how hard it can be to stay active in winter. Encouraging readers to embrace the cold or find indoor alternatives is solid, but the article makes winter workouts sound easier and more effective than they often are in real life.

Answer 7

This claim is true to certain extent. Being exposed to cold temperatures can activate "brown fat". What this means is that our bodies burn calories from this certain fat in order to generate and regulate body heat in cold environments. Exposure to cold temperature can also improve insulin sensitivity and inflammation. Two aspects that effect weight gain and loss. Although these are all true, people shouldn't rely on just cold temperatures to lose weight but also rely on nutrition and physical activity.

https://scitechdaily.com/harvard-scientists-discover-that-cold-temperatures-could-help-you-lose-weight/

Answer 8

Looking at the source that the article links: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/how-brown-fat-improves-metabolism you can see that it actually states that exercising in the cold can potentially have benefits as it activates the type of fat in our bodies that is responsible for glucose levels and energy storage. However, no where in the article linked above or their source do they actually say that the cold will make you skinner. Just that exercising in it may have benefits. 

Answer 9

There is no place in this article that clearly states that the cold can make you skinnier. The article is only saying there's benefits to working out in the cold, as brown fats activate when you work out in colder temperatures, which can translate into weight loss. This source I found discusses these brown fats in greater detail, but ultimately states that there isn't enough information available to prove that working out in the cold makes you skinnier overall. 

https://time.com/5025694/does-being-cold-burn-calories/

Answer 10

"Because we need to keep our bodies at around 98 degrees Fahrenheit, being in a cold environment makes us burn more calories to generate enough heat." (Moore)

https://sbpdiscovery.org/does-cold-weather-promote-weight-loss/#:~:text=How%20does%20being%20cold%20affect,calories%20to%20generate%20enough%20heat.