Body Fat and the Health Risks
Body Fat and the Health Risks
Studies repeatedly indicate, without a doubt, obesity is dangerous to our health. As we grow older our bodies accumulate fat and then deposit most of the accumulated fat around our waistlines. At the same time we are losing muscle mass. The combination of those factors are a pathway to health problems; most particularly Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, elevated cholesterol, and overall mental decline.
By D. S. Mitchell
Body Fat
Mention body fat and a lot of us start to get anxious. It’s not that the bathroom scale tells the whole story, but it does tell how much body fat we are carrying. We mostly choose not to think about it until our pants won’t zip up or when we pass a full length mirror. More and more information shows that there are serious health risks in carrying extra body fat. Experts tell us that the accumulated body fat begins to act as an endocrine organ. The endocrine system is a complicated network of organs and glands that uses hormones to control multiple body functions. Most specifically, body fat is involved in the metabolism of sex hormones, blood clotting, blood pressure, and insulin sensitivity.
Measuring the BMI
Physicians use the BMI to measure body fat, and diagnose whether the client is underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. A BMI of less than 18.5 is underweight, 18.5-24.9 is healthy weight, 25-29.9 is overweight, and 30 plus is obese, 40 or more is morbid (severe) obesity. Where an individual carries their extra pounds seems important. The visceral fat; that’s fat that is carried in the belly means higher risk of heart disease, stroke, and Type 2 diabetes. In fact, many doctors now suggest patients regularly monitor weight, BMI and waist measurement just as we currently monitor blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol. In a 10 year study with 190,672 participants, obesity tripled the risk for heart attack, stroke, and heart failure.
