That's Fit

Belly fat doesn't just make your belt a little tighter -- it can be a risk factor for a host of conditions including certain cancers, stroke, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. A recent study shows that belly fat can also be a risk factor for developing dementia later in life. In fact, it can be a larger indicator than family history.

More that 6,000 people were included in the study. Those with the most abdominal fat between ages 40 and 45 were three times more likely to develop dementia than those with the lowest amount of belly fat. According to the report, nearly 50% of American adults have an unhealthy amount of belly fat. And those that are at risk aren't limited to people who are obese. Many are at a healthy BMI or are only slightly overweight according to the scale, but carry their excess weight mostly in their abdomen. At this point, scientists don't know exactly what the belly fat/dementia link is. Theories include that belly fat increases the development of amyloid plaques in the brain (substances that are linked to Alzheimer's) or that dementia is linked to obesity-related illnesses such as heart disease.

If you've been following my Vitamins and Minerals 101 posts here on That's Fit, you know that the importance of Calcium was just highlighted. Well, based a study published recently in the journal Public Health Nutrition, it appears as though prevention against the storage of abdominal fat should be added to that list.

A diet diet that is deficient in calcium and vitamin C (which I will probably cover on V&M101 in the next few weeks) may increase your chances of gaining weight in your midsection. Researchers reported that the possibility of being centrally obese was increased in women with low vitamin C intakes (less than 56 milligrams), low calcium intakes (less than 398 mg).

As for why this is the case, researchers point to previous studies showing that calcium and vitamin C's may reduce fat absorption and reduce abdominal adiposity.

The good news is that many foods contain both calcium and vitamin C. Spinach is the first that comes to mind, as is orange juice fortified with calcium.

In a study that was just published in the medical journal Circulation, researchers concluded that abdominal (belly) fat is indeed strongly correlated with a risk of heart disease.

In the research by British medical scientists, it was also conclude that waist-hip ratio is a more accurate predictor for heart disease than just a simple waist measurement, as those with the largest waist-hip ratio out of the 25,000+ study participants were the highest at risk for heart problems.

In a media obsessed with obesity (weight) rather than waste size, this study seemed to tinker with that notion a bit. A lead researcher on the study even said that "people whose abdominal fat puts them at higher risk for heart disease do not always appear overweight or obese". That is very true.

Excess belly fat is a particularly dangerous risk factor for future health problems. So, if having a big belly is a bad thing (health-wise, at least) couldn't you just reduce your risk by having liposuction? No, say the experts. Liposuction removes subcutaneous fat that lives just under your skin. The fat that can seriously harm your health actually resides under the abdominal wall, next to your internal organs.

Reducing the number of calories you eat and increasing the number your burn is still the best way to get rid of that pesky abdominal fat.

Yikes – according to this article, even just a few extra pounds in your midsection can put you at a serious risk for developing heart disease. Those at risk include people whose waist circumference is over 31.5 inches for women and 35.5 for men, as well as those with a BMI of 23 to 25 and/or a weight of 150 or greater. That's about 80% of the population.

Apparently the problem lies in the presence of visceral fat -- a layer of stubborn fat the lies beneath the superficial fat that you can feel on your tummy.

One thing about this article that was pointed out to me by a friend is its failure to mention height or body type. It says that people over 150 lbs are at risk, but 150 lbs can be either overweight or underweight depending on the person. And anyway, isn't a BMI of 23 considered healthy?

What are your thoughts?