Gerbs
Contributor
Human fat does not = marine mammal blubber.
All other things being equal, a fatter person has more surface area, and would lose heat at a higher rate than someone with less surface area. So being fat will make one more vulnerable to hypothermia, not less.
I'm open to being corrected if someone can post valid scientific info to the contrary.
More surface area, yes. However...
Weight goes up as a cube relative to size.
Surface area goes up as a square relative to size.
As you get bigger, you have less surface per volume.
Hence in the arctic conditions, you tend to find a certain minimum size of animal, as the metabolism to keep the heat is just not possible. Also, whales need their tail fin as a heat rejection mechanism, as otherwise they would boil themselves.
Gerbs