BELLY FAT CAN BE A CONCERN

COVID- 19 comes as a stark reminder of the extent to which being overweight is a threat to our health. Evidence shows that being obese doubles our risk of being hospitalized with the virus, and new research from University College London found that people over 65 who are obese have a 31- per- cent higher risk of dementia later in life.

Yet not all fat is created equal. We used to believe that body fat simply functioned as energy storage for the body, but we now know that different types of fat affect the body in different ways. Excess fat around the middle is particularly harmful to our health since it can increase our risk of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, cancer and stroke.

Unlike subcutaneous fat, which lies beneath the skin, visceral fat sits under the abdominal wall surrounding vital organs like our liver, stomach and intestines. Excess visceral fat triggers lowlevel systemic inflammation, one of the main reasons why it’s linked to an increased risk of disease and faster aging.

How do you know if you have too much visceral fat?

Your bathroom scales won’t be of much use here since being in a healthy weight range for your height doesn’t necessarily mean you don’t have too much of it.

Body mass index has its limitations as an indicator of your weight’s impact on health. Your BMI doesn’t take into account situations such as high muscle percentage, so the readings of professional football players and body builders can show them falling into the “obese” category when they are anything but.

Many health experts now agree that our waist circumference is a more accurate indicator of health risk. Regardless of your height or BMI, it’s advisable to lose weight if your waist is greater than 94 centimetres ( 37 inches) for men and 80 cm (31.5 in) for women.

You’re at very high risk of serious health issues as a man if your waist measurement is above 102 cm (40 in) or 88 cm (34.5 in) for women. You can take your waist measurement at home, simply by using the tape measure in your sewing kit.

THE CORTISOL CONNECTION

Elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol are linked to increased fat storage around the middle.

While we need some cortisol, when too much is produced ( for example during periods of prolonged stress such as working long hours, moving to a new house, divorce and so on), it disrupts other hormones that influence our weight and promotes fat storage.

Compared with subcutaneous fat, abdominal fat cells have four times more cortisol receptors, hence the stored fat is directed to our middle. And while many of our hormone levels decline as we age, sadly cortisol does not. It increases, which subsequently elevates our chances of gaining weight around the middle.

The good news is that there are steps you can take to effectively tackle it, such as diet, exercise and stress reduction.