The low down on abdominal fat
Obesity is a star player when it comes to health sciences. It’s on every second page and not a week goes by without a new report damning the obesity epidemic.
As a population, Aussies are really starting to carry the flag when it comes to obesity. With one of the highest levels of overweight adults in the world, we should be proud to know that if there was a Fat Olympics, we would be a favourite for a medal.
A big part of the health problems with obesity include metabolic issues such as heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. But it’s not about how much fat you have, it is more a matter of where you store the fat that counts the most.
Without going through a full biology lecture there are two major types of stored fat. That which sits under the skin such as on your thighs, and that which is deep around your organs, such as your heart, kidneys, and liver. The later is known as visceral fat, which is the most deadly.
This ‘deep visceral fat’ is more likely to become mobilised and thus has greater potential to cause adverse reactions within the body’s internal systems. The increased mobility and likelihood of it to be used metabolically (via energy processes) can explain why the pot belly male gets better weight loss results earlier than the pear shaped female.
Her fat is more resistant in comparison to the volatile fat in the man’s belly. The good news for the female is that there is less risk associated with the fat that is stored around the hips and thighs due to its resistant nature.
While detecting the deeper visceral fat is not easy without complicated medical equipment, one quick way is to look at the amount you have stored around your belly. In four out of every five cases, if you are storing weight around your mid section, you are probably storing it around your organs.
To add to the problem is the rare situation we all here about, where the person drops dead of a heart attack when they seem to be lean and fit. The majority of the time they may not be storing fat around the waist, but deep down there are some significant deposits of visceral fat.
Waist circumference measures can be a good guide but can’t tell the difference between abdominal fat and the deep fat surrounding the organs. Technology will help us detect visceral fat better in the future, but for the time being our waist measures are the most appealing.
Maintaining a healthy body weight is an important part of your lifestyle. This can be achieved by developing an individualized weight management plan through consultation with a Lifestyle Medicine GP.
Dietry Fat Questionaire
Are you getting too much fat or which foods are the culprit for you. To find out, visit the Lifestyle Medicine online
Checking your body fat percentage is more important than measuring your weight on scales alone. To get a free risk factor profile of your current levels and help with setting some realistic goals, go to the Lifestyle Medicine Body Composition Assessment.
Weight management for women
To find out more on weight management for women and other Lifestyle and medical matters view the articles: Weight loss problems for women and When does an apple not keep the doctor away?
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Professor Trim
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