Are you an apple or a pear? No, I'm not talking about the fruits. I'm talking about the common terms used to describe where individuals store most of their fat.
"Apples" primarily store fat in their abdominal region, whereas "pears" store most of their fat in the lower part of the body, such as hips and thighs. Other than the superficial differences in appearance, there are several other important health differences between these two types of fats.
Peripheral, or subcutaneous, fat is a superficial layer of fat, and tends to be softer. It appears mostly on the lower part of the body. Although it may not be physically appealing, it is not considered to have any harmful effects on your health.
In contrast, intra-abdominal, also known as visceral, fat surrounds vital organs, like the kidneys, liver and heart. This type of fat tends to be hard, and can grow quite thick. It is this type of abdominal fat that is associated with detrimental health effects, such as high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and low HDL ("good") cholesterol. Together, these conditions make up the health condition know as Metabolic Syndrome, which can increase a person's risk for developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Men with a waist circumference of 40 or more inches and women with a waist measurement of 35 or more inches are most at risk for detrimental health effects associated with visceral fat. The International Day for the Evaluation of Abdominal Obesity was the first study of its kind to confirm that a high waist circumference is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease than weight alone, which does not take into account the type and location of fat. The bottom line is excess weight around the stomach is more harmful than in other parts of the body, such as legs and hips.
Although you can't change your genetic predisposition or how or where your body stores fat, there are some lifestyle strategies you can implement to help minimize fat and the potential harm it can cause.
* Lose weight. Even losing just 5 percent of your current body weight (the equivalent of about 10 pounds in a 200-pound individual) can significantly reduce your health risks. In addition, we typically lose the more dangerous visceral fat first, since subcutaneous fat is actually harder to lose.
"Apples" primarily store fat in their abdominal region, whereas "pears" store most of their fat in the lower part of the body, such as hips and thighs. Other than the superficial differences in appearance, there are several other important health differences between these two types of fats.
Peripheral, or subcutaneous, fat is a superficial layer of fat, and tends to be softer. It appears mostly on the lower part of the body. Although it may not be physically appealing, it is not considered to have any harmful effects on your health.
In contrast, intra-abdominal, also known as visceral, fat surrounds vital organs, like the kidneys, liver and heart. This type of fat tends to be hard, and can grow quite thick. It is this type of abdominal fat that is associated with detrimental health effects, such as high triglycerides, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and low HDL ("good") cholesterol. Together, these conditions make up the health condition know as Metabolic Syndrome, which can increase a person's risk for developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Men with a waist circumference of 40 or more inches and women with a waist measurement of 35 or more inches are most at risk for detrimental health effects associated with visceral fat. The International Day for the Evaluation of Abdominal Obesity was the first study of its kind to confirm that a high waist circumference is a stronger predictor of cardiovascular disease than weight alone, which does not take into account the type and location of fat. The bottom line is excess weight around the stomach is more harmful than in other parts of the body, such as legs and hips.
Although you can't change your genetic predisposition or how or where your body stores fat, there are some lifestyle strategies you can implement to help minimize fat and the potential harm it can cause.
* Lose weight. Even losing just 5 percent of your current body weight (the equivalent of about 10 pounds in a 200-pound individual) can significantly reduce your health risks. In addition, we typically lose the more dangerous visceral fat first, since subcutaneous fat is actually harder to lose.
* Avoid trans fats. In a recent animal study conducted at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina, a direct relationship was found between eating trans fats and the increase in abdominal fat. Trans fats are found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines and most packaged foods. A better substitute would be mono-unsaturated fats found in olive or canola oils. Reading the food labels of these products will help you avoid trans fats.
* Exercise. Move your body more to fight off fat. Exercise helps to burn off calories and fat. Along with a healthy diet, exercise is key to losing weight and keeping it off. In a study conducted at the Duke University Medical Center, middle-aged individuals who took a brisk walk for 30 minutes six times a week saw no increase in their visceral fat stores, while individuals of the same age who ate a similar diet but did not exercise had an 8.6 percent increase in their visceral fat stores.
Implementing these lifestyle changes into your daily routine can assist in reducing health risks associated with fat storage. Contact the Beverly Hospital Lifestyle Management Institute at 978-646-7060 or lmi@nhs-healthlink.org for more information on weight loss and improving your health.
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Judy DiPaola, RD, LDN, works at the Beverly Hospital Lifestyle Management Institute at Beverly Hospital Hunt Center in Danvers.
