Study shapes understanding of body fat

Scientists have shed light on why some people are apple-shaped and others are pear-shaped. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have pinpointed a protein that plays a part in how fat is stored in the body. The latest findings give greater understanding of how the protein works, which could help development of medicines to treat obesity. This study opens up new avenues for research, and gives us a much better idea of why some fat in the body becomes unhealthy while other fat is safely stored for energy. Dr Nik Morton Centre for Cardiovascular Science - Unhealthy fat. Levels of the protein - known as 11BetaHSD1 - tend to be higher in the presence of an unhealthy type of body fat. This fat tends to be stored around the torso - typical of "apple-shapes”.