The month you are born influences how your body stores fat, study find

A new study has shed light on a surprising link between the way our bodies store fat – and the month we were born.

While it’s no secret that diet and exercise play a major role in shaping our physiques, new research published in the journal Nature Metabolism suggests that the temperature we were exposed to at birth could also be a key factor.

Researchers believe the connection may lie in how our bodies develop different types of fat in response to the environment we’re born into. Brown adipose tissue, which is especially active in newborns, helps generate heat and is crucial for keeping the body warm in colder climates.

In contrast, White adipose tissue acts as a long-term energy reserve and tends to accumulate more in warmer conditions. It also serves as a hormone-secreting organ. This seasonal difference in early temperature exposure could shape how much of each fat type we develop - and potentially influence fat storage patterns well into adulthood.

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Researchers delved into brown adipose tissue density, heat generation and activity in 683 men and women between the age of three and 78, whose parents were exposed to warm or cold temperatures during conception or birth.

Those conceived in colder seasons surprisingly had higher brown adipose tissue activity which is linked to lower internal fat accumulation, higher body energy expenditure and heat generation, and lower BMI as adults.

“Here we report that individuals whose mothers conceived during cold seasons exhibit higher brown adipose tissue activity, adaptive thermogenesis, increased daily total energy expenditure and lower body mass index and visceral fat accumulation,” researchers shared.

The study added: “Lower outdoor temperatures and greater fluctuations in daily temperatures during the fertilisation period are key determinants of brown adipose tissue activity.”

Researchers are keen to explore the link further through future studies.

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