Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Belt Getting Tighter? Study Finds A Pot Belly Risky Even If You're Not Considered Overweight

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 10 Nov, 2015 11:32 AM
    WASHINGTON — A pot belly can be a bad thing — even if you're not considered overweight.
     
    New research suggests normal-weight people who carry their fat at their waistlines may be at higher risk of death over the years than overweight or obese people whose fat is more concentrated on the hips and thighs.
     
    Monday's study signals the distribution of fat matters whatever the scale says.
     
    "If the waist is larger than your hips, you're at increased risk for disease," said Dr. Samuel Klein, an obesity specialist at Washington University School of Medicine at St. Louis, who wasn't involved in the new research.
     
    It also has implications for advising patients whose body mass index or BMI, the standard measure for weight and height, puts them in the normal range despite a belly bulge.
     
    "We see this with patients every day: 'My weight is fine, I can eat whatever I want,'" said study senior author Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, preventive cardiology chief at the Mayo Clinic. "These results really challenge that."
     
    Abdominal fat — an apple-shaped figure — has long been considered more worrisome than fat that settles on the hips and below, the so-called pear shape. Risk increases for men if their waist circumference is larger than 40 inches, and 35 inches for women. Still, doctors typically focus more on BMI than waistlines; after all, girth tends to increase as weight does.
     
    But a BMI in the normal range may not give the full story for people who are thin but not fit, with more body fat than muscle, or who change shape as they get older and lose muscle, Lopez-Jimenez said.
     
    His study analyzed what's called waist-to-hip ratio, dividing the waist circumference by the hip measurement. There are different cutoffs, but a ratio greater than 1 means a bigger middle.
     
    Researchers checked a government survey that tracked about 15,000 men and women with different BMIs — normal weight, overweight and obese. More than 3,200 died over 14 years.
     
    At every BMI level, people with thicker middles had a higher risk of death than those with trimmer waists, the researchers reported in Annals of Internal Medicine. In the study, 11 per cent of men and 3 per cent of women were normal weight but had an elevated waist-to-hip ratio. Surprisingly, they were at greater risk — for men, roughly twice the risk — than more pear-shaped overweight or obese people.
     
    Fat that builds around the abdominal organs is particularly linked to diabetes, heart disease and other metabolic abnormalities than fat that lies under the skin, said obesity expert Dr. Lisa Neff of Northwestern University, who wasn't involved the study.
     
    Blood tests typically show higher blood sugar and triglyceride levels in people with a belly bulge, so doctors might spot their risk without a tape measure, Klein noted.
     
    Genetics plays a role in apple shapes and waistlines tend to increase with age, so Neff and Klein advised even normal-weight people to pay attention if belts are getting tighter.
     
    Sorry, sit-ups aren't the solution, they said: Like all weight loss, it requires a healthier diet and general physical activity to burn calories.

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    Most Women Unaware Of Alcohol's Role In Breast Cancer

    Most women are unaware that drinking alcohol or being obese could increase their risk of developing breast cancer, shows a Britain-based survey.

    Most Women Unaware Of Alcohol's Role In Breast Cancer

    Sex Three-four Times A Week Can Clear Kidney Stones: Study

    Sex Three-four Times A Week Can Clear Kidney Stones: Study
    Suffering from kidney stones? Well, stop gulping down beer after beer or other drinks to pass it out and prepare yourself for better action between the sheets tonight.

    Sex Three-four Times A Week Can Clear Kidney Stones: Study

    Diabetic? Daily Glass Of Red Wine Can Improve Heart Health

    Diabetic? Daily Glass Of Red Wine Can Improve Heart Health
    A glass of red wine every night may help people with Type-2 diabetes manage their cholesterol and cardiac health, suggests new research.

    Diabetic? Daily Glass Of Red Wine Can Improve Heart Health

    Don't Give Flu Shot A Miss This Season Based On Last Year's Failure, Doctors Say

    Don't Give Flu Shot A Miss This Season Based On Last Year's Failure, Doctors Say
    It's that time of year again, time for Canadians to think about getting that jab in the arm to protect themselves against the dreaded winter scourge — the flu.

    Don't Give Flu Shot A Miss This Season Based On Last Year's Failure, Doctors Say

    Few Pregnancy Deaths But Maternal Health Challenges Remain: Report

    The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics is releasing a report on Tuesday at its triennial congress saying "more work needs to be done."

    Few Pregnancy Deaths But Maternal Health Challenges Remain: Report

    India, Germany To Cement Ties During Modi-Merkel Meet

    Merkel, who arrives here on Sunday night, is on an India visit October 4-6. She will be accompanied by a large delegation comprising cabinet ministers, and businesspersons, and will also be visiting Bengaluru.

    India, Germany To Cement Ties During Modi-Merkel Meet