Visceral fat (the fat stored deep in the belly and surrounding your internal organs) is a strong predictor of your risk for cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke! Visceral fat negatively impacts metabolic health resulting in these increased cardiovascular risks. Body shape is directly related to levels of visceral fat and there are two classic patterns: apple vs pear shape. The Apple Shape also known as Android Fat Patterns means you tend to store your fat in your gut and torso whereas Pear Shape – also known as Gynoid Fat Pattern - means you tend to store your fat in your hips and buttocks. Apple shape is much more common in men and Pear shape is more common in woman. However, woman often shift from a Pear Shape to an Apple Shape after menopause because of the dramatic hormonal shift, and this shift is directly associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
A great way to know your fat pattern and associated risk is getting
a Styku Scan – www.styku.com which can give
you a handle on your level of visceral fat and associated risk.
Lowering Visceral Fat
Both exercise and caloric restriction can help reduce
bodyweight and bodyfat levels. A
meta-analysis of 40 randomized controlled trials looked at the effects of
exercise and calorie restriction on visceral fat (measured with MRI or computed
tomography).
The study showed that both exercise and caloric restriction
reduced visceral fat. However, the study
showed that there was a dose response effect for exercise - but not for caloric
restriction - meaning that exercise provides progressively more benefits the
more exercise you do!
The take home message is to find ways to increase your
activity level and work on healthy eating habits!
No comments:
Post a Comment