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Abstract
The development of obesity not only depends on the balance between food intake and
caloric utilization but also on the balance between white adipose tissue, which is
the primary site of energy storage, and brown adipose tissue, which is specialized
for energy expenditure. In addition, some sites of white fat storage in the body are
more closely linked than others to the metabolic complications of obesity, such as
diabetes. In this Review, we consider how the developmental origins of fat contribute
to its physiological, cellular, and molecular heterogeneity and explore how these
factors may play a role in the growing epidemic of obesity.