Influence of a meal on skin temperatures estimated from quantitative IR-thermography.

In young men at 25 degrees C, quantitative IR-thermography showed that fasting values of skin temperatures over suspected areas of brown adipose tissue (BAT) were higher than where no BAT is thought to occur. However, at 30 min and again at 60-90 min after a meal of 2.5 MJ, the magnitude of the increase in skin temperature was similar in areas with or without suspected BAT. In conclusion, either thermography was unable to detect the activation of BAT, or the meal did not stimulate heat production in the sites of suspected BAT.