: In many species, including humans and mice, brown fat is the first thermogenic system to mature after birth to ensure the infant can maintain body temperature.
: Factors like sex and castration influence how fat matures; for example, wethers (castrated males) often have a higher percentage of carcass fat at maturity than rams. Detailed charts on this can be found in the Woolwise Meat Technology lecture notes . 4. Human Body Fat Benchmarks
: Fat has a high growth impetus , meaning its weight increases rapidly as an animal reaches adulthood compared to bone or muscle.
In animal science, fat is described as "late maturing" relative to other body tissues.
: As an animal matures, the proportion of fat in the body increases, while the proportion of bone decreases and muscle remains relatively constant.
While "fat matures" isn't a standard clinical term for adult weight, body fat standards change as humans age. According to research cited by Vinmec , ideal ranges for women shift upward with age: : 21–32% fat. 40–59 years : 23–33% fat. 60–79 years : 24–35% fat. 7. Muscle, Bone and Fat in the Body - Woolwise
: Known as brown adipose tissue (BAT), this fat type is a "heat-burning machine" used for non-shivering thermogenesis.