Contents:
- Medical Video: Baby Digestion & Stomach Health : Abdominal Swelling in Infants
- High cholesterol
- Hypertension
- Inflammation in the body
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Heart disease and stroke
- Dementia
- It's easier to be depressed and moody
Medical Video: Baby Digestion & Stomach Health : Abdominal Swelling in Infants
Do you include potbellied? You can try measuring your waist circumference. For women, a normal waist circumference is below 80 cm, while for men under 90 cm. If it's more than that, then you might suffer from abdominal obesity or a distended stomach.
Distended stomach turned out to save many health problems. The risk of diseases, especially degenerative diseases also increases with increasing fat deposits in the stomach. There are two types of fat stored in the stomach, namely subcutaneous fat and fat visceral. Subcutaneous fat is stored under the skin, while fat visceral stored between organs. Fat visceral this is what is dangerous and increases the risk of disease. Some types of diseases that can be caused by abdominal fat include:
High cholesterol
Belly fat is associated with levels of fat in the blood, especially cholesterol. This is because belly fat is located close to the blood vessels that connect from the intestinal part to the liver. Abdominal fat will release substances that contain free fatty acids and then carry over to the liver. This causes an increase in total cholesterol and bad cholesterol (LDL). So it is not surprising if people who have a distended stomach usually also have high cholesterol levels.
Hypertension
Recent research shows that fat cells in the stomach produce a type of protein that has the potential to clog arteries and cause increased blood pressure. In addition, rising blood pressure can also be caused by fat stored near important body organs in the stomach. Retroperitoneal fat, the type of fat found around the kidneys and adrenal glands, can affect the work of the kidneys. Given the kidney is one of the organs that play a role in regulating blood pressure, it is not impossible that the kidneys will be affected so as to cause an increase in blood pressure.
Inflammation in the body
Inflammation in the body can cause various types of diseases. Belly fat produces products of hormones and molecules which will then be discharged to the liver, this actually causes other inflammation and disruption of hormone work. Besides, a inflammatory molecule called interleukin-6 is produced by abdominal fat and can trigger an autoimmune reaction. This process continues so that your body's metabolism is disrupted.
Diabetes
Distended stomach is one of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Abdominal fat can secrete a protein compound called retinol-binding 4 (RBP4), which plays a role in insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is the beginning of the occurrence of diabetes, where the cells of our body cannot respond to insulin properly so that blood sugar levels increase.
Obesity
Fat stored in the body, especially belly fat, affects hunger. Abdominal fat can disrupt your body's metabolism, affect your appetite, which makes it easier for you to overeat. Because you overeat, insulin production also increases. High insulin levels then convert excess calories from food to fat. This cycle continues to make it difficult for you to lose weight.
The food you eat can also affect your appetite. Your body naturally has a 'threshold' and has been able to regulate how much you have to eat to maintain an ideal body weight. This whole process is related to the hormones produced by the brain. When you eat simple carbohydrates and their ingredients (such as flour and sugar), the hormones that store fat will be produced excessively, increasing the natural threshold so that you tend to want to eat more than you should.
Heart disease and stroke
Belly fat secretes a compound called cytokine. Cytokines play a role in heart disease and other diseases associated with inflammation. When your body has inflammation, the liver produces cholesterol and other toxins that can form plaques in arteries. Increased blood fat such as cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides are risk factors for heart disease and stroke.
Dementia
Research shows that those who have a larger abdominal circumference have a higher risk of dementia or senile dementia. A study conducted by the Department of Cardiology Oita Red Cross Hospital in Japan states that there are abnormal changes in hippocampal volume and insulin resistance in those who have high levels of abdominal fat and suffer from diabetes. In addition, as quoted from WebMD, Sudha Seshadri, an assistant professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, said that the greater the amount of belly fat, the brain volume will shrink. Small brain volume is associated with poor cognitive abilities and later dementia risk.
It's easier to be depressed and moody
Excess fat is related to the work of the disrupted hormone system, including the hormone serotonin, galanin, and neurotransmitter others found in the brain. A study conducted by Boston University School of Medicine in 2014 stated that those who had more abdominal fat levels were more likely to experience depression.
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