A recent study has shown that fat cells in lean persons are healthier as compared to fat cells in obese persons. The team led by Dr Guenther Boden has found that the cells in fat tissue of obese person don’t work properly and as a result, are sicker as compared to cells found in lean patients” fat tissue.

Researchers analyzed fat samples from the upper thighs of six lean and six obese people. Fat biopsies of these people showed that there was a significant difference at the cellular level in the lean and obese persons. Researchers said that the fat cells found in obese patients included in the study were deficient in several areas.

Guenther Boden explained that the obese people's fat cells showed stress on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), which helps cells synthesize proteins and monitor how they are folded. When the ER is stressed, it produces several proteins that ultimately lead to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance, in turn, plays a major role in the development of obesity-related conditions.

Researchers believe that the present research can help in explaining the link between obesity and a higher risk of diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.