It’s no secret that carrying excess body fat increases your risk of a number of health problems.
But evidence is starting to mount that not all fat is created equal, and what really counts is where that fat is stored.
The most dangerous type is known as visceral fat, a firm inner layer that normally forms between the organs in the abdomen.
It is usually the cause of a beer belly and contributes to an undesirable apple body shape, considered the physique most at risk of health problems.
Subcutaneous fat, on the other hand, is the kind of wobbly fat that sits just under the skin and causes cellulite to form.
This type of fat is actually the least harmful and tends to accumulate around the thighs and buttocks rather than the gut, creating a pear-shaped physique.
Visceral fat is dangerous because it is believed to release chemicals and hormones into the blood that cause inflammation. This has been linked to chronic conditions such as heart disease and fatty liver disease.
The proximity of visceral fat to our organs increases the risk of these inflammatory chemicals penetrating them.
WHERE ARE THE BODY FAT DANGER PULSES?
Evidence is beginning to mount that not all fat is created equal, and what really counts is where that fat is stored. The most dangerous type of fat is known as visceral fat, a firm inner layer that forms between the organs in the abdomen. It is often the cause of a beer belly and contributes to an undesirable apple body shape, which is considered the physique most at risk of health problems. Subcutaneous fat, on the other hand, is the kind of wobbly fat that sits just under the skin and causes cellulite to form.
Subcutaneous fat does not release these chemicals and serves as a layer between the skin and the muscle.
A study summarized the difference in risk earlier this month.
It found that people with higher levels of visceral fat around the thighs rather than cellulite-causing subcutaneous fat had up to a third more risk of developing heart failure. The link was true even if people were otherwise thin.
University of Texas researchers, who followed 2,399 people aged 70 to 79 for an average of 12 years, noted that intramuscular fat was inflammatory.
So where are the danger zones for storing fat? And what can you do to reduce the risk?
Legs and thighs
Many women used to resent having a big bottom or thick thighs.
But curves have become fashionable in recent years, no doubt helped by the rise of Kim Kardashian and Nicki Minaj. And for good reason.
Half of the women have not done any vigorous exercise in the past year
Almost half of women have not done any vigorous exercise in the past 12 months, according to a survey.
The rate is lower for men, with just over a third claiming no training in that period.
The data comes from a survey of 8,000 adults by the charity Nuffield Health.
Britons are advised to do at least 75 minutes of vigorous exercise every week, such as running or swimming, or two and a half hours of moderate activity, such as brisk walking or tennis.
Tennis coach Judy Murray, mother of Wimbledon champion Sir Andy Murray, said the data showed a “very big challenge” ahead in terms of “activating the nation”.
Results published today show that more than a third of women reported that their physical health had worsened in the previous 12 months.
Meanwhile, 47 percent said they did no vigorous exercise.
For men, 28% said their physical health had declined over the same period and 34% admitted to not doing any vigorous activity in that time.
Two-thirds of women cited a lack of motivation, compared to half of men.
And 35% of women said they didn’t know where to start when it came to exercise, compared to 28% of men.
More than half (55%) said lack of time for work was a barrier, compared to 46% of men.
Ms Murray, an ambassador for the Healthiest Nations Index, said women in particular “find it difficult to find the time to focus on their wellbeing”, she said.
Mrs Murray added: “I hope everyone can take a few minutes to find something active they enjoy doing, as well as finding someone to do it with.
“Exercising with friends helps me find motivation and routine, as well as giving my mental health an extra boost, so I encourage everyone to get together with friends and get moving together.”
Nuffield has launched a Find Time For Your Mind campaign which aims to encourage people to take an extra five minutes of exercise a day to boost mental and physical wellbeing.
It comes as the UK faces a worsening obesity crisis. The latest data shows that 64% of adults were overweight or obese in 2019.
However, an analysis by Cancer Research UK published last month predicted that more than 42 million adults in the UK will be overweight by 2040, around 71 per cent of the country.
Exercise is one of the best ways to lose weight, and the NHS recommends that adults try to exercise every day, or at least four to five days.
They also advise Britons to reduce the time they spend sitting or lying down and to break up long periods of immobility with some physical activity.
If you’re a woman, there’s no better place to store fat, as long as it’s the kind of cellulite just under the skin and not the kind buried deep in your body.
In addition to being further away from vital organs, where fat can cause damage, studies suggest that fat stored in the legs has more than 100 genetic differences from belly fat that make it less harmful.
A 2010 study suggested that gaining weight in the lower body causes us to produce more fat cells, while gaining extra padding around the belly indicates that fat cells are expanding, The Telegraph reports.
The latter is dangerous because when fat cells become too large, they begin to leak fatty acids into the bloodstream, where they are toxic to the body.
Fat around the belly
This is the most dangerous type of fat, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes and even dementia.
It is harmful because it surrounds the internal organs.
This is why people with apple-shaped bodies at any age are considered to be at higher risk of health problems compared to other body types.
A 2019 study of about 160,000 women found that those with a healthy BMI but a bulging gut, with a waist-to-hip ratio of 0.85 or more, were up to 44% more likely to die than their peers who had a thinner waist.
Their risk of heat illness and cancer was even higher than those with a BMI that made them clinically obese but had comparatively smaller bellies.
Hard belly fat – visceral – is more dangerous than soft belly fat – subcutaneous – because it surrounds the internal organs.
Visceral fat is also biologically active, meaning it releases inflammatory chemicals and hormones into the blood that can penetrate organs.
Men are more likely to store belly fat than women, hence the term “beer belly.”
Women are thought to be protected from “central obesity” by the sex hormone estrogen, which sends fat to be stored in the hips and thighs.
moms
A larger bust can be a sign of obesity, which is a risk factor for a number of health problems.
But a 2008 study of more than 90,000 women in their 20s by Harvard University found that those with a D cup were three times more likely to develop diabetes in middle age than their A-cup counterparts, even if they had a healthy BMI.
However, a separate study in 2012 suggested that larger breasts may indicate that these women are more predisposed to the dangerous type of visceral fat.
neck fat
The bigger the neck, the greater the risk of heart disease, studies suggest.
Having a lot of fat around your neck means you also have a lot of fat in your upper body, which allows free fatty acids to spill into your bloodstream, increasing your risk of heart problems.
A thick neck can also block your airway while you sleep, reducing the amount of quality sleep you get.
This in turn can prevent the organs from resting and regenerating at night, and increase the strain on the heart.
In a 2009 study presented at the annual meeting of the American Heart Association, researchers found that people with larger necks had higher levels of bad cholesterol.
The study of 3,320 people also warned that wider necks are associated with higher levels of blood fat, insulin resistance and high blood sugar, risk factors for things like diabetes.
A recent study in the Journal of American Heart Health found that a neck circumference of more than 14 inches for women and 17 inches for men is associated with a greater risk of heart problems than traditional measures like BMI .
What can I do to reduce the risk of dangerous fat accumulation?
It is not possible to target visceral fat above the subcutaneous fat once it has already accumulated in the body.
However, losing weight and reducing overall body fat can get you to healthy levels, and there are many ways to keep it off:
- Studies suggest that more calcium and vitamin D in the body may be linked to less visceral fat. So load up on green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach. Tofu and sardines are also good choices, as are dairy products like yogurt, cheese, and milk;
- Swap saturated fats (found in fatty red meat) for monosaturated fats, found in olive, peanut and canola oils, avocados and nuts. This appears to prevent the accumulation of intramuscular fat;
- Get vigorous exercise for at least 30 minutes two to four times a week. One study found that this led to a 7% drop in the rate of visceral fat accumulation. Vigorous exercise includes brisk walking, cycling, aerobic exercise and strength training.