I rarely watch television but this morning I watched a great show on CNN which indicated there is a large difference between white and brown fat. This may also be an answer to obesity.
Unlike normal white fat that stores surplus energy, brown fat generates heat in response to cold or excess caloric intake. Brown fat is present in a newborn to act as an internal central heating system maintaining body temperature and preventing hypothermia, but rapidly disappears as brown fat is irreversibly replaced by normal white fat.
You can read the full article here http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/10/brown.fat.obesity/.
There is also information on this site that offers good fats to eat and fats to avoid. You can read that here http://www.health.com/health/condition-article/0,,20189107,00.html provided by Health.com.
I would certainly try to avoid certain fats instead of placing myself on a rigorous diet that may cause the up and down weight gain and loss. What do you think about this article?