Fat is a highly sophisticated collection of lipids and works much like a battery; storing energy when we eat food and releasing it when we need it. Fat is also a good communicator, sending out hormonal signals to the body and brain, about how full or empty of energy we are. In cold weather, it insulates the body as a layer just below the skin’s surface. Unwanted fat develops out of high-calorie diets combined with sedentary lifestyles; however, fat can develop and remain even after diet and exercise, especially for those after they have had children. The fat just underneath the skin is called subcutaneous fat. This is also the fat we have the most of, and the more we have, the more the skin stretches and misshapes the body. The other type of fat, visceral fat, surrounds the organs and although there’s less of it, it has more of an effect on our overall health and can increase the risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. When we exercise, visceral fat is the first fat to go.