Denton County Living Well Magazine January/February 2020 | Page 18

BELLY
FAT
E
By Julie Alvira, MD, MBA
ach day millions of people are
becoming aware of the risks
of excess fat in the abdominal
area also known as “belly fat.”
It is not the idea of not fitting
into your favorite jeans anymore, right
now it is about your health. Accord-
ing to a recent study published in the
Journal of American Medical Associa-
tion (2015), abdominal fat is tending
to be very common among adults. For
this reason obesity is a major issue in
the United States. When a person ex-
ercises too little and doesn’t balance
the amount of calories going in and
burning off, excess body fat can ac-
cumulate in the abdominal area. This
aspect, plus the fact that with aging
comes muscle mass loss, means one
thing––you need to take charge of
your health. You can do it!
The science behind it
There are two types of belly fat: subcu-
taneous and visceral. While the subcu-
taneous fat refers to the one between
the skin and the wall of the abdomen,
the visceral is deeper and surrounds
abdominal organs. According to Har-
vard University, the type of fat related
to health risks is visceral. Abdominal
fat is supposed to break down into
fatty acids that travel directly into the
16
liver and muscle. Fatty acids stimulate
certain reactions in the liver that result
in health risks which UT Southwest-
ern Medical Center (2015) describe
as: inflammation of joints and tissues,
altered cholesterol levels, heart dis-
ease, some types of cancers, diabetes
type 2, liver problems, metabolic syn-
drome, and overall mortality.
Interesting points: not all fat is com-
pletely dangerous, it all depends
where it’s deposited in the body.
Belly fat is metabolically active and
produces factors and hormones that
increase risks for the illnesses men-
tioned above. Even skinny people can
have hidden, unhealthy belly fat.
Take note: waist measurements with
the use of a tape measure of more
than 35 inches for women and more
than 40 inches in men need to be
evaluated.
Why it develops?
•
•
•
•
•
Lack of physical activity
High caloric inadequate food choices
Excess of saturated fats
Larger portion sizes while eating
Busy schedules with not enough time to
cook
• Incorporating too many processed foods
into eating plans
DENTON COUNTY Living Well Magazine | JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
Women and men
Usually both men and women undergo
a decrease in hormone levels and mus-
cle mass as they advance in age. The
difference relies in the following:
As women age, there is a decrease of
estrogen that influences the accumula-
tion of fat in various areas in the body
especially in the abdominal area. Such
accumulation in the abdomen can in-
crease a woman’s risk for heart dis-
ease. According to a study published
in the Journal of the National Cancer
Institute, pre-menopausal women with
enlarged waists pose a risk for breast
cancer. Also, fatty acids released from
belly fat are associated with an in-
crease in LDL cholesterol (commonly
known as the “bad”), which is a risk
factor for heart disease. Let’s remem-
ber that cardiovascular disease is the
number one killer of American women.
When men age there is a decrease in
muscle mass but also the accumulation
of fat in several areas. Linked to this
is the famous beer belly. In this situ-
ation the liver burns alcohol instead
of fat. Let us not forget that alcohol
can increase your appetite. A person
ends up drinking lots of empty calories
(sometimes in one sitting) and consum-