Did you know that there are 4 different types of fat? Yup! Brown, white, subcutaneous and visceral (belly) fat.
Briefly, brown fat has been the most recently discovered and found to burn more calories than the other three. We have more white fat than brown and the job of this type is to store energy and produce hormones. Subcutaneous fat is found directly under the skin and is usually measured using skin-fold calipers to estimate your total body fat percentage.
Visceral fat is deep within your abdominal cavity and wraps around those organs. Doctors warn their patients that this visceral fat will increase your risk of heart disease and diabetes. That danger received more press after research was presented at the European Society of Cardiology in 2012 where their results showed that people with concentrated visceral fat were 50% more likely to die from all causes compared to those who were obese. (1)
The problems with visceral fat can be complicated and numerous. This is because this type of fat is different from other types of fat in the body. Doctors believe that it promotes insulin resistance and leads to diabetes. In fact, in a study published in the Endocrine Press, data suggests that fat stored in the legs and buttocks is healthier than that stored in the stomach. (2)
Interestingly, people who are within normal limits for their weight on the scale can also have higher risk when they are also carrying high amounts of visceral fat. You may feel less desire to make lifestyle changes when your weight is within normal limits, but making those changes can improve your risk profile for diseases and illnesses.
Records from a study of 6,500 people in Northern California found that those who had a high level of visceral fat also had a higher risk of dementia, even for people who were within normal limits for overall weight but were carrying extra visceral fat and larger bellies. The scientists theorize that this is because the belly fat impacts hormones, such as leptin, that may have some adverse effect on the brain. Although leptin plays a role in appetite it is also important to learning and memory. (3)
Paying attention to both your overall weight and where you are carrying that weight are important factors in your overall health. While this visceral fat is more dangerous to your health, there are things you can do to reduce the amount of belly fat you carry and improve your risk factors.
References:
(1) European Society of Cardiology
http://spo.escardio.org/Abstract.aspx?abstractBookId=106463
(2) Endocrine Journals
http://jcem.endojournals.org/content/90/8/4573.full
(3) Kaiser Permanente: Larger Abdomen in Midlife Increases Risk of Dementia
http://www.dor.kaiser.org/external/news/press_releases/Larger_Abdomen_in_MidLife_Increases_Risk_of_Dementia,_According_to_a_New_Kaiser_Permanente_Division_of_Research_Study/
Resources:
Mercola: Confirmed: Belly Fat is Far More Dangerous than Having a Total BMI in Obese Range
http://fitness.mercola.com/sites/fitness/archive/2012/10/26/belly-fat-health-dangers.aspx
Time Health Family: Can Love Handles Kill
http://healthland.time.com/2012/08/30/can-love-handles-kill-why-having-a-paunch-may-be-worse-than-being-obese/
NY Times: Brown Fat, Triggered by Cold or Exercise
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/health/brown-fat-burns-ordinary-fat-study-finds.html?_r=0
Joslin Diabetes Center: Turning up the heat on brown fat
https://www.joslin.org/diabetes-research/turning-up-the-heat-on-brown-fat.html
US News: Belly Fat May Hurt Your Heart the hardest
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/08/28/belly-fat-may-hurt-your-heart-the-hardest
Forbes: Why Love Handles and Belly Fat are so Dangerous to your health
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertglatter/2012/09/03/why-love-handles-and-belly-fat-are-so-dangerous-to-your-health/
Harvard: Abdominal Fat and What to do about it
http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsweek/Abdominal-fat-and-what-to-do-about-it.htm
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