WHAT YOUR FAT SAYS ABOUT YOU
The many ways that carrying extra pounds can wreak havoc on your health
EVERYONE has trouble spots — those patches of weight that are hard to conceal and harder to lose.
But experts say that certain types of fat, in certain areas of the body, may be more damaging to one’s health than others.
“We have shown that the cells from belly fat versus butt fat are like different flavors — they’re really different kinds of fat,” explains Susan K. Fried, a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai whose research focuses on fat storage.
Here’s what those bulges can mean for your heart, metabolism and more.
TUBBY TUMMY
Extra weight around the midsection is more likely to be visceral fat, which surrounds the body’s inner organs, than subcutaneous fat, which lies immediately under the skin. That means belly fat will likely “increase inflammation in the body, leading to Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, to name a few [health issues],” says Dr. Kristen Gill Hairston, medical director of the Diabetes and Endocrinology Center at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Susan K. Fried, a professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, suggests lying down to tell what type of fat you carry around your waist. “If you lie on your back, and your fat doesn’t stick up, it’s probably just under the skin,” or subcutaneous, she says. “If it sort of sticks up and looks like you’re pregnant, then it’s likely visceral.”
LOVE HANDLES
Love handles and other flabby areas are more likely to be subcutaneous fat, which carries less of a risk to your health, says Hairston. Still, those extra pounds can lead to issues such as osteoarthritis and sleep apnea, she cautions.
THICK THIGHS
“If you carry fat in your butt or in your thighs, that is actually associated with better health, lower risk of cardiac disease or diabetes,” says Fried. This applies both to men and women, although women are more likely to have a “pear” shape.
She says experts are still unsure of why this is the case, but that lower-body fat isn’t usually stored in places where it can do damage, such as the muscle or liver.
“Women should be happy about fat on their thighs,” says Fried. “It keeps them healthy!”
CHUNKY ARMS
Carrying weight in your upper body is generally less safe than storing it in your lower body, says Fried. Chunky arms could mean that excess fat has migrated into your muscles — this is called ectopic fat, she says, and can cause problems such as insulin resistance — but Fried cautions that no studies have looked specifically at arm fat.
BULKY BACK
“The fat on your back is usually associated with a big belly,” says Fried, meaning it likely bears the same risks as fat on your midsection.
ALL OVER
Carrying an extra layer of fat anywhere on your body can put extra strain on your heart, driving up your risk of various diseases.
“Remember that extra weight, anywhere, can contribute to joint pain, sleep apnea and decreased stamina,” says Hairston.