Introducing the newest addition to the list of Everyday Things That Might Be Making You Fat: Central Heating!

British researchers argue in a new report, published in the journal Obesity Reviews, that rising indoor temperatures are contributing to obesity. Looking at increased average room temperatures in the U.S. and U.K. over the past 40 years, they deduced that people are losing their calorie-burning brown fat by shivering less!

Fiona Johnson, a research fellow at University College London and the paper’s lead author said, “In the past they would heat the main living areas, and the bedrooms might be cold at night.” Research shows that people now heat the whole house to higher temperatures, meaning that they no longer have to adjust to different temperatures as they move throughout and therefore burning fewer calories.

I think it’s a pretty interesting thing to look at. While I can’t imagine anyone saying this is a major contributing factor of obesity, it certainly makes sense as a small yet important piece of a larger puzzle.

You can read more here.