Despite the gender, having a big, round belly is quite embarrassing, but women are especially concerned about the problem as the shape of the body matters more to them. But the truth is there is a lot more to worry about having big, round belly than the shape of the body. It may be due to excessive accumulation of body fat around your stomach/ abdomen which is called abdominal obesity.
All fat is not equal
The fat that lies just below your skin in most of your body, the kind you can grab with your hands is called subcutaneous fat. In your belly, it’s called visceral fat because it builds up in the spaces between and around your viscera. internal organs like your stomach and intestines.
Excess body fat has serious consequences for health. It' associated with high levels of LDL ("bad") cholesterol and triglycerides and low levels of HDL ("good") cholesterol. It impairs the body's responsiveness to insulin, raising blood sugar and insulin levels. Excess body fat contributes to major causes of death and disability, including heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, osteoarthritis, fatty liver, and depression.
How to measure abdominal obesity?
Waist circumference is a simple measurement to identify abdominal obesity. By using a stretch-resistant measuring tape, you can measure your waist circumference at the level of the umbilicus at the end of the normal expiration.
WHO proposed values
Increased risk
- Women > 80cm
- Men > 94cm
Substantially Increased risk
- Women > 88cm
- Men > 102cm
Abdominal obesity is emerging as a serious health problem which leads to cause non-communicable diseases such as,
High blood pressure
Strokes
Diabetes
Cholesterol
Fatty liver
Cardiovascular diseases
Kasuni Hasintha
References
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