(Food-Beverage-News.Com, September 24, 2012 ) San Francisco, CA- A study conducted by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota finds new reason to be concerned about belly fat. The new study shows that those with higher levels of fat around the abdomen have a higher risk of death than general those with general obesity.
The study focused on those with high waist-to-hip ratios, known as “central obesity”. Otherwise normally weighted patients with high amounts of this central fat had higher risks of cardiovascular diseases. This finding was first noted in a study presented at a scientific meeting in Europe in late August.
“We knew from previous research that central obesity is bad, but what is new in this research is that the distribution of the fat is very important, even in people with normal weight,” said Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist. Jimenez continued, “Central obesity in the setting of normal weight appears to be more dangerous than any other fat distribution pattern.”
Male patients who have stomach measurements that are 90% greater than the hip measurement were considered to have central obesity. The number is slightly lower in women, with only 85% or greater being the marker.
Some suggest that the rise in health worry may be attributed in part to the resistance to insulin and other general health problems that centrally obese individuals incur. Dr. Jiminez also pointed out that high waist-to-hip ratios may be indicative of narrow hips, as the result is often a proactive sign.
Jiminez pointed out that the findings show a new reason to be wary of the Body-Mass Index, which is often used to determine supposedly healthy weight ranges. “"Most of the national campaigns for weight control and obesity focus on BMI," he said, "If the message is, 'You're OK if your BMI is OK,' that's a problem. ... We see from time to time people who have a big belly, but their body weight is normal. Some will be very content and not excited about starting an exercise program, even if they need it."
The Mayo Clinic study included many factors including socioeconomic status, history of illness, as well as basic body measurements. The over 12,000 persons were also given BMI tests. The study spanned over 14 years, and during that period saw 2,562 deaths.
The finding of the study showed that cardiovascular-related deaths amongst those with central obesity were nearly three times higher than those with normal waist-to-hip ratios. They were also twice as likely to for all causes of death. In fact, those with central obesity were more likely to be at risk of death than those with general obesity, though the number was slight.
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