Chi (frequently translated as “energy flow”) is the ancient art of Taoist healing, longevity and meditation. The Chinese believe that chi flows through the body’s energy meridians (channels) and stimulates proper cell functioning, including getting rid of toxic wastes. If chi is blocked or is reduced, the cell is deprived of its life force and becomes ill. If you look down at your stomach and see a big, protruding gut, you may have blocked chi to your stomach! Chi may not be recognized by Western medical societies, but having reduced adipose tissue blood supply is recognized as a major inhibitor of fat mobilization. Fat mobilization needs a rich supply of blood flow; blocking blood flow to adipose tissue is similar to having a kink in your hose when watering the lawn— flow is reduced. In a recent study in the Journal of Physiology, evidence was reported for a hormone produced from adipose tissue that can reduce blood supply to adipose and cause impaired nutritive blood flow and inhibit fat burning in abdominal adipose tissue and skeletal muscle.15 Adipose tissue was once thought of as nothing more than a storage depot for fat, however it has clearly been established that adipose tissue produces a variety of hormones that exert multiple effects.

Adipose Tissue: An Active Endocrine Tissue
To date, more than 100 products are secreted from fat tissue, covering a wide range of protein families as well as fatty acids and prostaglandins. They have been reported to be secreted by adipose tissue, which is highly vascularized and contain lots of blood vessels, which mean it has a rich blood supply. The degree of white adipose tissue vascularity or blood supply is greater than that of skeletal muscle. It has long been recognized that adipose tissue blood flow (ATBF) is not constant, and that it increases during times of stress (dieting or exercise) when the need for lipid mobilization is increased. Compared with other tissues of the body, white adipose tissue can change drastically in cellular size throughout life, depending on a person’s calorie intake. If you have been hitting the Krispy Kreme doughnut shop too often and there is increased fat mass, the creation of new fat is always accompanied by an increase in blood vessels, whereas enlargement of old fat cells evokes no changes in the blood vessel formation.12 New fat cell formation is like a new baby; new fat cells need nutrients to grow and this means new blood vessels to bring nutrients to their crying mouths. Both fat storage and mobilization are closely controlled by the adipocyte’s blood supply. In order to burn body fat, adipose tissue must be able to release stored triglycerides into circulation. Interestingly, obese people have reduced blood supply to adipose tissue compared to leaner individuals, which may be the result of increased production of a nasty little hormone called angiotensin II, which is produced in adipose tissue.11, 12, 13