Abdominal obesity
April 27, 2017
Abdominal obesity is an excessive fat around the waist
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Abdominal obesity, also known as central obesity, refers to excessive fat accumulation around the waist. There are two types: subcutaneous and visceral obesity. Subcutaneous fat lies just below the skin and primarily affects one’s appearance rather than health.
Visceral obesity, on the other hand, is more concerning. It involves fat accumulation deep within the abdominal cavity, surrounding organs such as the stomach, liver, kidneys, and heart. This type of fat poses significant health risks, even for individuals who appear thin, a condition referred to as TOFI (thin-outside-fat-inside).
It’s important to note that everyone has some visceral fat, which serves as a protective cushion in small amounts. However, excessive accumulation leads to abdominal obesity, a key contributor to metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers.
A recent explanation for the severity of visceral obesity revolves around the concept of lipotoxicity. Visceral fat cells release metabolic byproducts into the bloodstream, particularly the portal circulation, which transports blood directly to the liver. This process inundates the liver with free fatty acids and triglycerides, leading to dysfunction. Additionally, fatty acids accumulate in other organs like the pancreas and heart, disrupting their normal function and contributing to insulin resistance, high blood sugar, elevated cholesterol levels, and irregular heart rhythms.
Reducing abdominal obesity requires weight loss, with physical exercise serving as an effective method.
Controlling abdominal obesity
To determine abdominal obesity, calculate the waist-to-hip ratio by measuring the waist at the navel level with a relaxed abdomen and the hips at their widest point. Divide the waist measurement by the hip measurement to obtain the ratio. A ratio above 0.85 indicates increased risk, with a ratio of 0.95 or higher signifying a serious risk of heart attack.
Some dietary recommendations for combating abdominal obesity align with the Mediterranean diet pattern:
- Emphasize the use of olive oil as the primary fat source.
- Consume plenty of fruits and vegetables with a low glycemic load.
- Incorporate fatty fish, nuts, and legumes into regular meals.
- Limit intake of eggs, dairy products, lean meats, and wine.
- Avoid or minimize consumption of red meats, seafood, processed meats, soda, processed foods, and sweets.