5 Reasons Belly Fat Is So Dangerous

Fat, believe it or not, is essential for survival. Your body needs it for organ protection and the release of energy. However, it’s also important to know about the different types of body fat building up in your body. For example, if you have too much visceral fat, that can be dangerous for your health. And it is undoubtedly on mass display in the UAE, which is now ranked the fifth most obese nation in the world.

You must be wondering how fat can be dangerous for your health. This blog post explains the types of body fat and the reasons why belly fat is so dangerous.

Types of Body Fat

There are two types of body fat: subcutaneous fat and the other is called visceral fat.

Subcutaneous Fat

The subcutaneous fat hides beneath the skin and sits over the muscle. Although it may not look all that pretty (usually, it presents itself in the form of cellulite and dimples on your skin), it is not too harmful. But then there is visceral fat, and yes, you need to be worried about that.

Visceral Fat

Visceral body fat (from sugar and bad carbs) is found in the abdomen and surrounds your internal organs. Also known as belly or abdominal fat, it is the type of fat you don’t want to be burdened with as it opens doors to all kinds of diseases. Visceral fat starts building up in the abdomen, and if you continue eating the wrong foods, it will continue piling up, making you bigger and rounder. You might end up having an apple-shaped body.

Why is Belly Fat Dangerous for Us?

In this section, we will explain five significant reasons why belly fat is considered dangerous.

• High Body Fat Causes a Vicious Cycle of Inflammation

A lean abdomen is a reflection of a healthy body. The latest studies have shown that visceral fat surrounding your belly is more problematic than fat surrounding your thighs or any other area of the body. Your abdominal area is held tightly by a layer of healthy body fat, which ensures all organs found in the abdomen are coiled side-by-side. 

However, an increase in visceral fat leaves your body no choice but to surround and coat the abdominal organs with clingy excess fat. As a result, an expansion and separation occur between your organs. So how does it cause inflammation? Well, the fat tissue around your abdomen brews toxicities that create inflammation leading to hypersecretion of interleukin-6, interleukin-8, TNF-alpha, and cytokines. When over-produced, these substances enhance inflammation.

• High body fat causes non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Where does visceral fat go when it has no new place to settle?

Your liver.

Here we’re not talking about the fatty liver disease that you get from heavy drinking. We’re talking about the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that you can contract from the visceral fat surrounding your abdomen. It primarily happens because your liver is located behind your stomach. Foods that can lead to a fatty liver include carbs, sugar, and the notorious high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is known to dive straight into your liver. 

The damage to the liver starts when there is a heavy fat accumulation, a process called steatosis, in which there is an abnormal retention of fats inside the liver cells. Because of this, your liver develops cirrhosis, a condition that leads to inflammation and scarring. Thus, it becomes harder for your liver to filter blood and carry out essential bodily functions. Bergamot, derived from a citrus fruit native to southern Italy, is one of the only remedies proven to reduce NAFLD.

• High body fat can lead to dementia

Carrying a concentrated amount of fat in the middle of your body puts you at higher risk of cognitive imbalance after you hit 40, leading to Alzheimer’s at an older age. The fatty tissue surrounding your abdomen spews a pile of disease-generating cells known as cytokines that cause inflammation and ignite dangerous waves in your brain. As a result, neurodegeneration occurs. Studies indicate that the more visceral fat you have around your abdomen, the more your brain shrinks in volume. Alteration of brain structure can lead to a number of concerns and illnesses, such as memory impairment, depression, Alzheimer’s, and different forms of dementia.

• High body fat causes type 2 diabetes

Did you know that you should be more afraid of your expanding waistline than your growing thighs? You are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes if most of your fat sits around your abdomen. We all know that the first sign of developing type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. However, leptin resistance also causes an increase in visceral fat, which raises your probability of getting type 2 diabetes. Leptin is the hormone responsible for how much you eat and how much fat you burn.

When you consume grains, sugars, and those lousy carbs, the sugar metabolizes, turns into fat, and gets stored in fat cells. It causes a surge in leptin, which leads to leptin resistance. At this point, a vicious cycle starts because your body craves more sugar, stores fat, and you don’t feel full when you should, causing you to overeat.

• High body fat causes cardiovascular diseases

We can’t talk about abdominal fat without mentioning one of the most vital organs in your body – your heart. For decades health practitioners and food guidelines have been promoting the notion that fats found in eggs, butter, and meat cause heart diseases. However, your body’s real enemy is sugar (in all forms) that you consume on a daily basis. Sugar increases extra pounds and the intra-abdominal fat in your body, leading to high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels, and improper insulin utilization. All of this can put you at serious risk for cardiovascular disease.

Key Takeaways

All of the reasons mentioned above explain why belly fat can be so dangerous for you. It makes you susceptible to cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, dementia, and fatty liver diseases. Therefore, you should maintain a healthy diet strictly to keep yourself fit. If you have excessive abdominal fat and want to get rid of it, visit Euromed Clinic Center. Our experts will guide you about suitable treatment options and diet plans. You can book an appointment by filling the form below.