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[GlyphGryph]

I commented elsewhere that I didn't understand why they hadn't yet invented a machine that burned fat in a way similar to how the human body does it. Obviously, the body moves those energy bits around to where they are needed, and I'm not entirely sure why we couldn't hook ourselves up to some sort of dialysis machine equivalent and just burn that fat away - acting, essentially, as if the machine were some sort of giant muscle.

Some people, such such as LoWhi, are opposed to such a machine!
Others, such as myself, see it as an amazing good! (Lets face it, exercise at least is a a lot easier to keep up when you aren't ridiculously fat)

What do you think?

[MonkeyHead]

I would be interested in it from a biochemical/mechanical point of view... my understanding is that it is the cells mitochondria that "burn" the sugars... could such a thing be replicated?

[MaximumZero]

I approve, especially for those who cannot exercise due to weight or injury.

[GlyphGryph]

I would be interested in it from a biochemical/mechanical point of view... my understanding is that it is the cells mitochondria that "burn" the sugars... could such a thing be replicated?

Technically, I imagine you wouldn't even need to burn them, just figure out how to pull them out of the bloodstream (which is what I assume the body uses to transport those sugars from the fat cells to the muscle cells)

[Zangi]

I don't know who lowhi is, but ya, I don't see anything wrong with this machine at all.  Mind you, I don't know jack about it or its side effects, if any.

[GlyphGryph]

Lo(ud)Whi(spers)

[penguinofhonor]

It'd be complicated, for sure. I mean, if you just made it burn sugar in the blood I'm pretty sure you'd just send people into diabetic shock. You'd also have to make sure the body think it needed to burn the fat.

I don't see any ethical concerns, though. It'd just be slower, safer liposuction.

[MonkeyHead]

So, could this be managed by centrifuging? Which bit of blood has the sugars in it? If it is dissolved in the plasma, seperating it should be trivial...

[Solifuge]

There are a lot of complex chemical reactions taking place when you burn adipose tissue in your body. Making a machine/process to do it is plausible, but I can't see it being done without lots of incisions to actually reach fat tissues. I think you're better off just getting adipose tissue removed via surgery, if that's your goal. I suppose you could induce the body to burn calories quicker via hormones too, but I don't know enough of the mechanics to say whether it's a good idea or a bad one.

Of course, there -is- always exercise, which would probably take less time, and far less money, than such a procedure... and has added benifits such as keeping your body in working order, releasing endorphines, and more. Exercise is about more than burning fat, it's about keeping your body tuned-up and in working order.

[RedKing]

I don't have a problem with the notion of such a machine. Hell, we already routinely use scores of machines and medications to fix things about our bodies that would have crippled or killed us in an earlier time.

[GlyphGryph]

Exercising, at the least to the extent that most people can manage it, is an incredibly inefficient way to burn fat. You need to dedicate large blocks of times regularly to make a significant impact (which is why changing your eating habits is a much more valuable way to control weight). And being overweight often makes exercise difficult in and of itself, and far less enjoyable. Some, like myself, exercise as much as possible (probably 3-4 hours a week of moderate exercise, and 4-8 hours of light exercise like extended walks), and still find themselves overweight simply because they have difficulty controlling their diet (and I'll be honest, the medication has been making that worse)

There are a lot of complex chemical reactions taking place when you burn adipose tissue in your body. Making a machine/process to do it is plausible, but I can't see it being done without lots of incisions to actually reach fat tissues.

I don't see why the machine would have to do it directly to the given cells, since our body manages to use fat energy from pretty much everywhere for pretty much everything, no?

[MaximumZero]

So, why not harvest the fat and use it as a resource? I mean, sure, there are more effective ways of gathering energy, but none so readily available.

[GlyphGryph]

Problem is, would the harvesting cost more than the energy produced? That is the obstacle we need to overcome, and depending on how the machine works... maybe!

Though really it probably wouldn't even be able to power itself unless the designers were really smart about it...

[RedKing]

So, why not harvest the fat and use it as a resource? I mean, sure, there are more effective ways of gathering energy, but none so readily available.

America's dependence on foreign energy = SOLVED.

Though it does lend an entirely new layer of meaning to the term "fat farm". 

[MonkeyHead]

Or "Fat of the Land".

Also, responding to "Would you rather have butter or guns?" would be a no brainer.