Dean Esmay <[log in to unmask]> riposted
> Subject: Re: Body fat and heat
>
> Dick Bird wrote:
>
> >Second, the envelope of the body grows in area with more mass (albeit
> >proportional to the sqare root of the mass ) and so more heat is lost
> >to the environment.
>
> Dick may want to rethink his physics.
Ouch!
> Fat people should have less surface
> area for every kilogram of body mass than thin people.  The amount of fat
> will grow much faster than the skin needed to contain it.  In this sense
> extra fat would provide a warming effect.
>
Ah! but I went on to say:
>
> These points both of course assume constant heat output by metabolism
> and constant distribution by heart action.

I wasn't arguing that there would be MORE heat loss per pound mass,
there will obviously be less.  But if we assume heat production is
constant then heat loss from the organism increases with mass.

What reason is there for assuming greater production of heat in fat
people?  In the light of known facts about IBAT, not much I would
contend.


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"Ye canna change the laws of physics"  - Scotty.
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Dick Bird
School of Behavioural and Environmental Sciences
University of Northumbria
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 8ST