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There is a product called ReFirm by Complete Nutrition.

I cannot find it on their website, but the commercials on the radio claim that this stuff works by "shrinking your fat cells."

I know in nutrition, Fat grams have about 8 calories whereas Protein and Carbohydrates each run roughly 4 calories per gram.

So, if a Fat Cell stored in the body were to shrink, does that Fat Cell still have the same properties as a Fat Cell that has not been shrunk?

What has changed? Was water removed?

The commercial continues on to say that you can lose inches and fit into those clothes you no longer fit in.

I'm thinking all of the fat is still there and the person weighs about the same - their Fat Cells are just smaller. Now they are, what, more dense?

When the ReFirm program has ended, do these smaller Fat Cells regain their regular size the next time you have a glass of water?

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  • This would appear to be health/medical related, and/or product recommendation. Both are off topic.
    – JohnP ♦
    Jun 24, 2014 at 15:55

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From my knowledge, I believe it is not possible to reduce the size of fat cells unless you get some form of surgery.

Surgery will actually not reduce the size, but the number of fat cells.

When the body accumulates an excess of resources, adipocyte cells (fat cells) start to reproduce in order to take the extra amount of food that you consume.

These fat cells stick around, but they can be emptied through excercise which depletes glycogen (energy storage)

Now the problem I see with the product you mentioned is that they do not go into detail what the ingredients are. Green bean coffee extract is being touted as some god like ingredient for losing weight from my perspective. Maybe their other ingredients work, maybe not. I cannot be the judge.

The only thing you need to lose weight is organic food and a lot of exercise. There is no getting around this.

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  • I suppose I should have started my question by saying I think their product is complete BS. I cringe every time I hear that commercial saying it is going to "shrink your Fat Cells". I'm pretty sure those do not shrink.
    – jp2code
    Jun 24, 2014 at 14:45
  • The supplement industry is a very sketchy industry. Many products contain many fillers with very little useful ingredients. The FDA does not regulate the supplement industry, they can put anything they want in there under "proprietary blend" :(
    – ghost_zfh
    Jun 24, 2014 at 14:53
  • Technically, the fat cells do "shrink". It's like a plastic grocery bag. When empty, they are "smaller" than when they are filled with stuff. The potential volume is still the same, there's just less in it. They are playing on the misconception that by "shrinking" it, it would hold less stuff later, and that's just not so.
    – JohnP ♦
    Jun 24, 2014 at 17:12

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