Belly fat

Belly fat typically refers to excess adipose tissue in and around the abdominal area, particularly the fat inside the belly or abdomen known as visceral fat. This type of fat is considered unhealthy due to its association with various health risks.

Importance of Belly Fat

Abdominal obesity, commonly termed belly fat, is crucial to understand because of its strong correlation with cardiovascular disease. Belly fat is one of the five criteria for diagnosing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that increase the risk of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. To gain a better understanding, one should explore the different types of adipose tissue, including brown adipose tissue or peripheral fat and white adipose tissue or visceral fat.

Apple Shaped Body vs. Pear Shaped Body

Central or abdominal adiposity leads to a body type known as the apple shaped body, which is considered less healthy compared to the pear shaped body that has a healthier distribution of adipose tissue. The apple-shaped body is characterized by excess fat around the waist and abdomen, while the pear-shaped body has more fat distributed around the hips and thighs.

Rethinking Our Dietary Approach Shifting focus from individual blame to understanding the complexities of obesity is crucial. A key factor is insulin resistance, impacting up to 71% of the population, with 35% experiencing metabolic syndrome. Navigating Misinformation The overwhelming presence of over 20,000 books and mixed messages on obesity medicine calls for guidance from experts like Dr Prab R. Tumpati, MD, who can provide clarity on the science and practice of this field. The Downfall of the Food Guide Pyramid The outdated and ineffective food guide pyramid, promoting a low-fat but high-glycemic diet, significantly contributed to increased insulin resistance and, consequently, weight gain. Insulin resistance and weight gain Insulin resistance is a physiological condition where the body's cells become less responsive to the hormone insulin. As insulin not only controls the blood sugar, it also controls the weight! Reducing the overall carbohydrate load and insulin levels is a key underlying concept in many low carbohydrate diets such as the ketogenic diet.

The Blame Game in Obesity Understanding metabolic starvation Weight gain isn't typically intentional. It often stems from the paradox of metabolic starvation in the obese, driven by insulin resistance and resulting in heightened insulin levels. This leads to persistent hunger, cravings, and further weight gain. Stop blaming the victim for obesity!

Causes of Apple Shaped Body

The redistribution of body fat to create an apple-shaped body is often due to underlying insulin resistance. Those with excess belly fat are more likely to have insulin resistance, which contributes to the accumulation of fat in the abdominal area.

Waist to Hip Ratio

A large waist circumference—40 inches or more in males, or 35 inches or more in females (with lower thresholds for Asians)—is one of the five criteria for Metabolic syndrome. A waist-to-hip ratio of one or more in men and 0.8 or more in women is considered to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. This ratio is a useful measure to assess the distribution of body fat and associated health risks.

How to Lose Belly Fat

According to Dr. Prab R. Tumpati, MD, the most effective approach to lose excess belly fat is to address and mitigate the underlying insulin resistance that leads to weight gain. It's important to understand and apply 5 proven measures to lose weight, including a Very low calorie diet, FDA-approved weight loss medications, increased physical activity, weight loss surgery for eligible individuals, and correction of underlying causes of weight gain.

Also see:

• Metabolic syndrome
• Insulin resistance
• Cardiovascular disease
• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes

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