How dangerous is high body fat percentage?
It can be very dangerous in high levels. A high body fat percentage, and in particular the presence of visceral fat, can increase your risk for a number of diseases. To promote weight loss or prevent weight gain, make sure to eat the same number of calories that you burn, or eat fewer calories than you burn.
Is body fat distribution a good predictor of obesity risk?
Body fat distribution is a better predictor of the health hazards of obesity than is the absolute amount of body fat.
What determines body fat distribution?
Another key determinant of body fat distribution is the balance between estrogens and androgens in adipose tissues. Estrogen deficiency, for example, after menopause, is associated with a change in fat distribution from a gynecoid (pear-shaped) to an android (apple-shaped) pattern and with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
What is abdominal fat and how dangerous is it?
Abdominal, or visceral, fat resides deep within your abdominal cavity, filling the spaces between organs. It is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat, which lies just below your skin.
Which fat distribution type is more negatively associated with health risks?
In particular, increased abdominal fat is more detrimental than higher total body fat. Studies have shown that increased visceral /abdominal fat is positively associated with metabolic disease (8,9), independent of overall adiposity (10-12).
What is the most dangerous type of body fat?
Visceral fatVisceral fat (also known as belly fat or abdominal fat) lies deep within the abdomen, where it sits close to—and can literally poison—various vital organs. That increases your risk of serious disease, including one of the most-feared disorders of aging, a new study has found.
Which body fat distribution has a higher risk of cardiovascular disease?
These results provide further evidence that CVD risk is more closely related to body shape and adipose tissue distribution than to the BMI or to an excess of total body fat. As previously discussed, excess subcutaneous fat may represent a helpful energy reserve for CVD patients not characterized by harmful ectopic fat.
What is more harmful visceral fat or subcutaneous fat?
Researchers have long-known that visceral fat – the kind that wraps around the internal organs – is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat that lies just under the skin around the belly, thighs and rear.
Why is visceral fat more dangerous?
Visceral fat is dangerous because it is related to the release of proteins and hormones that can cause inflammation. This inflammation can damage your arteries, enter your liver and negatively affect how your body breaks down sugars and fats.
What is the danger of apple shaped fat distribution?
An older woman's body shape—that resembles an apple rather than a pear—may point to an increased risk in heart disease, despite having normal weight, a study suggests.
What is Android and Gynoid fat?
Android is described as fat distribution around the mid-section, so around the waist (belly button). Gynoid is the fat distribution around the hips, this region is situated around the top of the thighs.
Which type of fat carries the highest risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes?
Some people carry more fat around their visceral organs, called abdominal adiposity (fat), while others carry fat on their thighs and hips. Previous observational studies have indicated that abdominal fat is associated with type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.
What are the abnormalities in body fat distribution?
Abnormalities in body fat distribution are common in HIV-infected persons and are often grouped under the term lipodystrophy that includes both subcutaneous lipoatrophy and central lipohypertrophy. Lipoatrophy is the diffuse loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue that most apparent in the face, buttocks, legs, and arms and has been attributed due to exposure to stavudine and zidovudine [151], which are no longer in widespread use. These medications likely cause lipoatrophy by inducing mitochondrial dysfunction in adipocytes, which in turn leads to adipocyte apoptosis [152]. However, since discontinuation of stavudine or zidovudine only minimally improves lipoatrophy, there are many prevalent cases among highly treatment-experienced patients [153], and adverse metabolic effects of these drugs may persist many years after discontinuation [154,155]. Lipoatrophy has been associated with lower BMD [156], and it is possible that the limited subcutaneous tissue overlying the femoral head in lipoatrophic patients may fail to attenuate forces applied to the femur after a fall and contribute to hip fracture risk [157].
How to measure body fat distribution?
Waist circumference: A simple way to determine body fat distribution is to use a measuring tape to measure waist circumference . The tape should be placed around the waist, parallel to the floor and at the top of the upper hip bones for the hip measurement—not at the narrowest point.
What are the factors that determine the distribution of adipose tissue?
An important role is played by genetic factors, ethnicity, the body’s hormone levels, growth, and maturation, as well as “modifiable” factors related to lifestyles [1]. The latter mainly include diet; recreation, including physical activity; sleep duration; and the use or avoidance of stimulants, such as alcohol and cigarettes. The following section presents the results of research on the risks and benefits associated with the lifestyles of children and adolescents in relation to abdominal obesity.
What is the role of estradiol and T in metabolic syndrome?
There is a striking difference in body fat distribution between men and women. Men tend to accumulate adipose tissue in the abdomen while women tend to accumulate fat in the gluteal–femoral region.
Why does body fat resist electrical current?
Body fat resists the electrical current because it contains less water and electrolytes than lean muscle mass. The measure of body fat is accurate, assuming hydration is normal. Dehydration from exercise, excessive sweating, or premenstrual water retention may distort the measurement.
What is the role of T in fat distribution?
Human as well as animal data indicate that T plays an important role in the regulation of body fat distribution. Low plasma T levels in men and T excess in women are generally associated with visceral obesity. At physiological concentrations, T mostly decreases fat mass with possible region-specific effects.
What is the effect of Android body shape on diabetes?
Individuals with a more android than gynoid body shape tend to have a more adverse metabolic profile and an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Although much has been learned about fat distribution, there are several issues that need further exploration.
How does high body fat affect health?
A high body fat percentage, and in particular the presence of visceral fat, can increase your risk for a number of diseases. To promote weight loss or prevent weight gain, make sure to eat the same number of calories that you burn, or eat fewer calories than you burn.
What percentage of body fat should a non-athlete have?
According to the American Council on Exercise, men who are non-athletes should have a total body fat percentage in the 14 to 24 percent range, while women who are non-athletes should be in the 21 to 31 percent range.
What is the difference between BMI and waist circumference?
BMI is calculated as a ratio of weight to height, while waist circumference is a measurement of the smallest part of the waist. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Trusted Source.
What is subcutaneous fat?
Subcutaneous fat refers to the fat stored under the skin. It’s a combination of brown, beige, and white fat cells. The majority of our body fat is subcutaneous. It’s the fat that you can squeeze or pinch on your arms, belly, thighs, and buttocks.
How to measure body composition?
Body composition can be measured using several methods. One common method of estimating body fat percentage is skinfold measurements . A trained technician can use calipers, a tong-like instrument, to pinch and measure folds of skin on your arms, waist, and thighs to estimate total body fat percentage.
What is white fat?
White fat is the type of fat that most people immediately think of. It’s made up of large, white cells that are stored under the skin or around the organs in the belly, arms, buttocks, and thighs. These fat cells are the body’s way of storing energy for later use.
Where is essential fat found?
Essential fat is necessary for a healthy, functional body. Subcutaneous fat makes up most of our bodily fat and is found under the skin. This is the body’s method of storing energy for later use. Visceral fat is found in the abdomen amongst the major organs. It can be very dangerous in high levels.
Where does fat accumulate?
Most people tend to accumulate fat either in their midsection or in their hips and thighs. But your genes, sex, age, and hormones could affect how much fat you have and where it goes. 2. But there’s more than one type of body fat to pay attention to. Believe it or not, there are three.
What fat is on top of your muscle?
brown. shoulder and chest. Here’s a breakdown of what these fat types are: Subcutaneous fat sits on top of your muscle, right underneath your skin. It’s the kind you can poke or pinch, often around your butt, hips, or thighs. This makes up about 90 percent of our fat stores.
How to measure visceral fat?
The most precise way to measure the amount in your body is with an MRI or CT scan. Measuring visceral fat at home, at a glance If you’re a woman with a waist circumference greater than 35 inches or a man with a waist circumference greater than 40 inches, there’s a good chance you have too much visceral fat. 5.
What foods help you store belly fat?
Go for healthier dietary fats. Polyunsaturated fats like walnuts, salmon, and flax seeds are an especially good bet — especially when you swap them in for saturated fats.
What percentage of men have too much visceral fat?
that 22 percent of men and 8 percent of women who are considered normal weight actually have too much visceral fat. (And are at risk for the health problems that can come with it.) The opposite can also be true. Around 22 percent of men and 10 percent. Trusted Source.
What temperature does brown fat burn?
A small study involving five men found spending time in chilly temperatures — around 66°F (19°C) or cooler — can activate it and boost calorie burning. 3.
Does stress cause visceral fat?
Letting stress get out of control. Over time, chronic stress prompts the body to pack on excess visceral fat. “The largest concentration of receptors for the stress hormone cortisol can be found deep in visceral fat tissue,” Peeke explains. 7.
What is the site of ectopic fat deposition?
Another site of ectopic fat deposition is the heart, which includes the myocardial fat and the adipose tissue surrounding the heart, as well, which can be classified into the epicardial and pericardial adipose tissue. An excellent and comprehensive review on this specific topic has been recently published. 112 Several studies including data from the Framingham Heart Study have now revealed that the size of the epicardial or pericardial fat depot is significantly associated with the cardiometabolic risk profile. 50, 52, 54, 113 – 117 However, some studies that have reported these associations have failed to control for the concomitant variation in other critically important ectopic fat depots, such as the visceral adipose tissue and liver fat. Studies that have attempted to address this question have found that some cardiometabolic risk markers may be more affected by some ectopic fat depots than others. 112 From a physiological standpoint, mechanistic studies will have to be conducted to fully answer this question. For instance, the relative contributions of the various ectopic fat depots (epicardial, liver, and visceral) as drivers of cardiometabolic risk may depend on the clinical or metabolic outcome considered. For example, it would intuitively make sense that outcomes such as atrial fibrillation or heart failure may be more closely related to some local markers of cardiac lipid accumulation/metabolism, such as cardiac steatosis or epi/pericardial fat. On the other hand, visceral adipose tissue and liver fat may be key drivers of plasma markers of the cardiometabolic risk profile, such as insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, inflammation, and the high triglyceride–apolipoprotein B-low–high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol atherogenic dyslipidemia. Thus, under this model, excess visceral and liver fat would synergistically act to perturbate the metabolic milieu, whereas excess epicardial fat may represent a marker of the relative inability of the heart to handle the lipid spillover resulting from the saturation of subcutaneous adipose tissue, leading to a progressive reliance on free fatty acids as a substrate that could eventually contribute to the development of diastolic dysfunction and heart failure. 112 Increased epicardial fat may also contribute to an increased local release of cytokines/adipokines that may impair the vasodilatory response of coronary vessels under certain physiological stress conditions. 112
Is obesity a risk factor for CVD?
Although it is commonly accepted that obesity, irrespective of body shape, is a risk factor for the development of various cardiovascular outcomes, the situation is less clear among patients who already have the disease. For instance, several studies have shown that obesity, as defined by the BMI, may rather be associated with increased survival and reduced mortality among patients with CVD. 124, 125 Such a finding may, at first glance, appear counterintuitive, because obesity is an established CVD risk factor. How could it become protective among CVD patients? Some recent studies that have controlled for body fat distribution may have shed light on this apparent obesity paradox in cardiology. For instance, when an index of abdominal obesity such as waist circumference was used, a totally different picture emerged; an elevated waistline was predictive of an increased mortality rate among CVD patients. 126 – 128
Is obesity a homogeneous entity?
Considerable evidence supports the notion that obesity is not a homogeneous entity, because it can no longer be defined solely on the basis of excess total body fat. In the present review, we have emphasized that remarkable individual differences exist in regional body fat accumulation at any given BMI or level of total body fat. Such variation in regional adiposity is a key in determining the CVD risk associated with a given amount of total body fat. On that basis, it could also be questioned whether the magnitude of weight loss may still represent the most relevant therapeutic target in the management of high-risk overweight/obesity. For instance, weight loss does not distinguish between the loss of adipose versus lean tissue. Regular physical activity/exercise, a relevant component of a lifestyle modification program for the long-term management of overweight/obese patients, 3, 131 has been shown to limit loss of lean tissue associated with caloric restriction. 132 – 134 Thus, considerable individual variation in adipose tissue loss could be observed for a given weight loss. When regular vigorous exercise is used, some subjects could even lose adipose tissue without losing weight, if there is a compensatory increase in lean body mass. 69, 135 – 137
Is waist circumference a measure of total adiposity?
Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that waist circumference is, above all, an index of total adiposity that, however, is influenced by abdominal adiposity. Another important notion derived from the results of Figure 2 is that waist circumference cannot distinguish visceral from subcutaneous adiposity.
Is CVD related to BMI?
These results provide further evidence that CVD risk is more closely related to body shape and adipose tissue distribution than to the BMI or to an excess of total body fat. As previously discussed, excess subcutaneous fat may represent a helpful energy reserve for CVD patients not characterized by harmful ectopic fat.
Where does fat go in the body?
Fat from abdominal fat cells goes directly to the small intestine, bypassing the stomach and causing diarrhea and inadequate nutrient absorption. Lawrence recently attended a local helath fair to learn more about improving his diet and lifestyle. While there, a hospital worker used fat calipers on the back of his triceps to assess his percent body ...
Is low fat food sugar free?
If a product has no added sugar, it is also sugar-free. False. By legal definition, a low-fat food has... less than 3 grams of fat per serving. Lawrence notices that most of his body fat is accumulated around his mid-section. His dietitian calls this "upper-body obesity" or "android obesity.".
