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The Role of Body Fat in Human Brain Development and Reproduction
Body fat plays a crucial role in human brain development and reproduction. Human infants are born with about 15% body fat, which is significantly higher compared to other species. The high body fat in infants ensures a constant energy supply for the rapidly growing brain. As the brain grows, body fat levels decrease, illustrating a trade-off between fat storage and brain development. The body fat is essential for ensuring that the brain always has energy available. Additionally, body fat is vital for reproduction, especially for nursing mothers who require approximately 600 extra calories a day to produce breast milk. The ability to store and utilize body fat efficiently is a fundamental human adaptation that supports physical activity, reproduction, and brain function. Our predisposition to store fat is intrinsic to our species' survival, highlighting the challenges of dieting due to the evolutionary design to accumulate, rather than reduce, body fat.
