do we need white adipose tissue to a large extend on basis of hormons?
Vitamins can be stored in IMTG, or in beige/brown adipose tissue.
Energy we do not need with normal food stores.
Isolation we need to a small extend.
But do we need WAT for hormones, or can they be produced by other fat tissue (beige/brown,ITMG)?
The body does not know that we have access to normal and predicable food stores, and therefore the body and all its different systems have evolved to rely on fat stores in case exogenous energy cannot be obtained. For example, when WAT sores are depleted under a certain level many functions are shut down to save energy (to increase the chance of survival).
Leptin is mainly secreted by white adipocytes, and the concentration of circulation leptin in the blood is proportional to the fat mass and lipid cell size. In this way the amount of circulating leptin signals the energy status to the rest of the body. Functions that are dependent on a certain minimum level of leptin are for example reproduction. Besides energy metabolism and reproduction, leptin is involved in immune function, growth, lung development, brain development, angiogenesis, hematopoiesis and possibly a lot more (see for example Ahima, Rexford S., and Suzette Y. Osei. "Leptin signaling." Physiology & behavior 81.2 (2004): 223-241).
In addition WAT secretes other hormones like adiponectin, angiotensin, resistin, visfatin, acylation stimulating protein, sex steroids and glucocorticoids (see for example Coelho, M., T. Oliveira, and R. Fernandes. "Biochemistry of adipose tissue: an endocrine organ. Arch Med Sci. 2013; 9 (2): 191–200." (2013)).
WAT therefore has a unique role, and cannot be replaced by the small amounts of IMTG and BAT.
There are numerous scientists that know more about this than me and can give you more accurate information, but at least you have somewhere to start. I have worked with leptin in seals, and as you know, they tend to have very large WAT stores ;)
Please have a look this review papers
1. Kwok KHM, Lam KSL, Xu A. Heterogeneity of white adipose tissue: molecular basis and clinical implications. Experimental & Molecular Medicine. 2016;48(3):e215-. doi:10.1038/emm.2016.5.
2. Coelho M, Oliveira T, Fernandes R. Biochemistry of adipose tissue: an endocrine organ. Archives of Medical Science : AMS. 2013;9(2):191-200. doi:10.5114/aoms.2013.33181.
3. LiseMadsen, Rasmus Koefoed Petersen, Karsten Kristiansen,Regulation of adipocyte differentiation and function by polyunsaturated fatty acid. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease; 1740( 2), 2005, 266-286
4. Christopher M.Carmean, Ronald N.Cohen, Matthew J.Brady. Systemic regulation of adipose metabolism. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Basis of Disease;1842(3), 2014, 424-430
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