Blame it on a protein released by the body that works against the depletion of fat cells; more fat on the body means more of the protein that "actively inhibits weight loss."

"Our discovery may help explain why overweight individuals find it incredibly hard to lose weight. Their stored fat is actively fighting against their efforts to burn it off at the molecular level," said Dr. Andrew Whittle. (Source: AskMen.com)

Future research could link the findings to new ways to boost weight loss efforts, possibly by suppressing the fat-protecting protein, which is called sLR11.

"The fatter we are, the more our body appears to produce a protein that inhibits our ability to burn fat, suggests new research. The findings may have implications for the treatment of obesity and other metabolic diseases." (Source: ScienceDaily.com)