Army’s New Weight-Loss Plan: Transplant fat INTO Soldiers...

[Analog]

Just last week, military brass vowed that the force of the future would be “smaller and leaner.” Apparently, the Army’s taking that pretty damn literally. They want smaller, leaner soldiers. Their best idea to do it? Give GIs transplants of extra fat cells.
Seriously. In the Army’s latest round of small-business research awards, they’ve green-lit a proposal to manufacture transplantable brown fat cells, all in an effort to catalyze rapid weight loss. Portlier soldiers, you might recall, are turning into a major dilemma for top brass. An estimated 75 percent of today’s young Americans are either too fat, too sickly or too dumb to serve. The Army’s even overhauled their fitness program, in part to accommodate softer recruits, by swapping long runs and grueling drills for yoga and calisthenics.
Leg lifts and downward dogs, however, don’t offer much of a calorie-burning boost. Brown fat tissue, however, does. At first glance, the idea of adding fat to get rid of fat doesn’t exactly add up. After all, thousands of Americans dole out mad cash to have flab sucked out, not put back in.
The distinction comes down to varieties of fat: Humans carry pockets of conventional fat, or white adipose tissue. They also carry brown adipose tissue. And recent research has confirmed that the stuff’s pretty damn special: It burns a ton of calories — around 250 calories over three hours in one study group — and actually sucks energy out of conventional fat cells to fuel its fire. Research even suggests that additional pockets of brown fat can be created by exercise.

The Army, however, would rather see soldiers drop pounds like the Real Housewives — with as little effort as possible. They’re funding a team at Boston University to “generate human [brown adipose tissue]” for subsequent human transplantation. “Obesity and its associated metabolic complications…are becoming increasingly prevalent in military personnel,” the Army’s research award notes. “Increasing [brown fat] by about 50 grams in obese patients could induce strong weight loss and improve metabolic status.”
Researchers plan to isolate a brown adipose progenitor cell — cells that, similarly to stem cells, are able to differentiate into more specific types — and then generate additional brown adipose cells in the lab. From there, they’d be able to offer “transplantation therapy” to portly personnel.


http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2012/01/brown-fat-injections/

 

[FelixDeCat]

Ill take a hundred.

 

[Bateluer]

I oppose the culture of laziness.

 

[blurredvision]

Shouldn't be much longer when getting fat is completely taken out of our gene pool.

 

[Matthiasa]

Hmm if it works, and can be done cheaply, it could save a ton of money in medical costs in the long run.

 

[darkxshade]

An estimated 75 percent of today’s young Americans are either too fat, too sickly or too dumb to serve.

I'd work on that first. Being fat won't get others killed... unless they have to carry you.

 

[Murloc]

or maybe you should limit your consumption of sugary drinks.
Soon the murrifat army will become the joke of the world.

 

[Pardus]

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

I would think their definition of "too sickly" is more of an issue. The fact that pretty much everyone has to lie about medical stuff to get in is a good sign that the standards are too strict.

 

[FelixDeCat]

I oppose the culture of laziness.

The culture of laziness opposes you.

 

[WelshBloke]

So instead of fat, unhealthy soldiers they end up with thin, unhealthy soldiers?

I suppose they can fit more of them into a transport then anyway. :\

 

[RavenSEAL]

Yes please.

 

[KaOTiK]

I'll take a liter to go

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Epic Meal Time