We spoke to Dr Mahesh Shah, interventional cardiologist, about this phenomenon and how it is quickly taking hold of the people in India. Here’s what he had to say about how belly fat can wreak havoc with your health.
Dr Mahesh Shah, interventional cardiologist, says ‘Belly fat, as opposed to skin fat, has a lot of toxins. It kick starts the secretion of certain hormones that affect the entire body. This hormone induces insulin resistance and increases a person’s chances of suffering fromdiabetes. Apart from that it also increases a person’s risk of suffering from hypertension as it is also a known cause for abnormal cholesterol levels. All of this put together puts a person at a high risk of suffering from heart attacks, paralytic strokes and gangrene and some forms of cancer.’
Why does this happen?
They act as hormone secreting cells: While the exact reason for this is still unknown, a paper published by the Harvard Medical Schoolstated that one possible reason was the fact that fat in our body, especially viceral fat, are biologically active cells that act as an endocrine organ or gland (organs that secrete hormones). These cells secrete and release hormones that can be extremely harmful for your body. What’s more abdominal fat can interfere with the working of the normal hormones in your body, making you more susceptible to a host of ailments like cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and metabolic abnormalities.
Damage your entire system’s working: These fat cells have also been found to release cytokines (immune system hormones) that have a very damaging effect on the systems that regulate insulin sensitivity, blood pressure and blood clotting.
Increases your cholesterol levels: Another reason viceral fat is considered to be very dangerous for your heart is the fact that it is located very close to your portal vein (the large blood vessel that leads from your stomach to your liver). Due to its location it is believed that any chemicals released by these fat cells directly enter the portal vein and affect your liver. Which in turn leads to higher bad (LDL) cholesterol levels, lowers good (HDL) cholesterol levels and leads to insulin resistance.
What’s the solution?
The only way is to lose weight and belly fat. But the good news here is that it is fairly easy to lose belly fat. With the right diet and exercise, you can lose all that fat and be healthier. Here are some simple tips to lose belly fat.
Beware! Your belly fat could be killing you In India, belly fat is thought to be a sign of prosperity or even middle-age. It is not uncommon to see men with huge pot-bellies. But what this fat does to your body is far more dangerous than you thought. Not only does it affect your appearance but it also adversely affects your heart, spine, digestive system and even put you at risk of several lifestyle ailments.
