Most of us are well aware of the health risks that are associated
with having too much body fat. But did you know that not all belly fat
is bad for you? Belly fat that is found directly under the skin is
called subcutaneous fat.
The belly fat that is harmful is the unseen fat around your organs,
otherwise known as visceral fat. Having a high waist-to-hip ratio is
usually a sign of having too much visceral fat. This type of fat is
associated with a higher risk of developing certain health conditions.
1. Decreased Lung Function
A team of Finnish researchers found
that a large waist circumference is related to decreased lung volume
and function. In comparison with other healthy, non-smoking adults who
did not have excess abdominal fat, those who carried more fat performed
far more poorly on spirometry (breath measurement) tests.
Over time, this decreased lung function can lead to a narrowing of the airway and ultimately chronic lung diseases like asthma.
2. Arterial Degeneration
One study found a significant correlation between abdominal obesity and high incidence of arthrosclerosis and arterial stiffness.
The researchers studied both individuals with abdominal obesity and
general obesity, as well as healthy individuals, and discovered that for
every 0.1 increase in the waist to height ratio, arterial issues
worsened.
This tendency was particularly pronounced in people with excess
abdominal fat. Arterial degeneration can lead to stroke and various
forms of heart disease.
3. Poor Blood Sugar Regulation
Visceral fat produces a number of hormones that can wreak havoc on
your metabolic system. These hormones can trigger changes to insulin
receptors in your body, meaning that insulin starts to become less
effective in helping to regulate your blood sugar levels. This is, of
course, one of the major causes of diabetes.
4. Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease
It turns out that what’s going on in your gut can have a big effect on your brain. One study
found that a high waist-to-hip ratio, as well as the presence of
abdominal visceral fat in general, is linked with low brain volume. Low
brain volume is linked with general dementia and may also be a
contributing factor in Alzheimer’s disease.
5. High Cholesterol
Visceral fat can be turned into free fatty acids by the body, which
results in the production of LDL (also known as “bad”) cholesterol and
triglycerides. In addition, the free fatty acids also reduce the body’s
level of HDL (also known as “good”) cholesterol. Along with abdominal
obesity’s relationship with arterial degeneration, the
cholesterol-related effects of excess belly fat are a perfect storm for
heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.
How to prevent visceral fat?
Where you tend to store your fat is largely dictated by your genes,
but if you have excess abdominal fat, there are ways to minimize your
risk.
According to the experts, exercise is the best way to get rid of that
visceral fat, even more so than calorie restriction (although sticking
to a healthy diet is always a good idea).
Aim for half an hour to an hour of exercise most days of the week,
and with determination, you should be able to shrink your belly and your
chances of developing any of these long-term health problems.
How to calculate the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR)?
To calculate your WHR, all you have to do is divide your waist
circumference by your hip circumference. Measurements can be recorded in
either centimeters (cm) or inches (in) without affecting the ratio.
For example, if a person’s waist circumference is 80 cm (31.5 in) and
their hip circumference is 90 cm (35.5 in) then their WHR ratio would
be 0.89 cm.
What is a healthy ratio?
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), having a WHR of
over 1.0 may increase the risk of developing conditions that relate to
being overweight, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
A healthy WHR for women is 0.85 or less and 0.9 or less for men.
