'metabolically active' - what's this term mean?

[larabell]

Please could someone explain in very brief layman's terms what this means? I've just read an article that refers to visceral fat as being metabolically active. Does it mean that it needs calories to sustain itself?

[Clanad]

Simply put, it means that certain types of fat, including visceral fat (contained in layers around organs in the body, such as kidneys and liver) produce a certain Arachidonic Acid (AA) which, in turn, is shown to produce yet other products that are blamed for the increase in Type 2 diabetes. This is a greatly simplified description of the process... for a clearer, yet readable explanation, check here:

http://www.cbn.com/health/NaturalHealth/drsears_ObesityDiabetes.asp