Body Fat: Location Over Quantity

Posted May 25, 2008 at 03:00 PM by Denise Musumeci

Section: In The News, His Health, Physical Health, Lifestyle Health, His Nutrition, Healthy Eating

When most people step onto the scale, their first reactions are to cringe. While your weight may say a good bit about your overall health, health experts are now saying that where you’re your body fat lies may be more important than how much body fat you actually have.

Tara Parker-Pope of the New York Times says, “Studies have linked larger waist sizes to higher risk for heart attack, cancer, diabetes, dementia and even incontinence. Last month, Harvard Medical School researchers reported on a study of 44,000 nurses that showed even normal-weight women face twice the risk of premature death from heart disease or cancer if they are thick around the middle. Other studies have shown similar risks for men.”

Having a large amount of body fat put your body at serious risks from many harmful diseases because when people have a lot of fat deposits in the belly, the fat usually surrounds vital organs such as the heart and liver. Many factors contribute to large waists, such as poor diet, lack of exercise, genetics, and stress. In a study that links stress to abdominal fat, 67 women were observed taking speech and math tests. The ones who were most stressed out were also most likely to have larger waists.

What can you do to reduce your abdominal fat and risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes? Many people have difficulty losing pounds around the waist, especially if large sizes run in the family. The first step is to change your diet and the amount of food you eat. By eating less calories and eating more quality foods, it will become easier to shed pounds. Exercise is always helpful. Try doing cardio workouts and taking fitness classes that are designed to help you slim your waist. Consult your doctor for weight loss tips and other options, especially if your weight is due to genetics.

Most importantly, don’t give up! Even if your waist size doesn’t shrink, you are essentially lowering your risk for heart diseases and diabetes when you stick to a healthy diet and exercise. For example, look at the sumo wrestler. As large as he is, he has the cardiovascular health of a slim man. Tara Parker-Pope says that this is because sumo wrestlers carry their fat just beneath the skin and not around the organs. By changing your lifestyle, you can reduce the amount of fat that surrounds the organs, even if your actual size doesn’t change. Don’t worry too much about numbers on the scale. Just keep eating healthy and exercising so you can develop your overall health.

Research sources and for more information: [NY Times]