Is it wise to leave abdominal obesity unchecked?

As a wellness consultant, a typical question I come across from clients is – ‘I have pot-belly, how do I get rid of it?’

To understand this, let’s try and dwell on something called Syndrome X. Syndrome-X is a host of symptoms body demonstrates when it faces a condition called ‘Insulin Resistance’. Insulin Resistance is a stage when cells in the muscles, fat, and liver etc. do not respond well to insulin and as a result, storage of glucose cannot occur efficiently into the cells despite the presence of enough insulin. Now, how is that perceived by Pancreas, our gland that produces insulin? Well, Pancreas ‘thinks’ there perhaps is less of insulin and that is why storage of glucose is adversely affected. What does the Pancreas ‘do’ then? It begins producing more and more insulin until it can get to a state where it is ‘tired’ and cannot cope up with the demand for heightened levels of insulin to metabolize even normal levels of glucose which hitherto wasn’t a challenge at all.

Do you see a problem here? For most people, at such a stage, when sugar levels are tested, it might just show up as normal but body actually ‘struggles’ to maintain sugar level in the blood. There is a big difference between a ‘healthy blood sugar level’ and ‘the body struggling to maintain a normal sugar level’. There lies the problem!

Syndrome X, which is also known as the “metabolic syndrome” is marked by abdominal obesity – that’s right, ‘pot-belly’ or central obesity – our topic under discussion today, elevated levels of triglycerides, low levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol, high blood pressure etc. What are the dominant causes of such symptoms? In short, poor lifestyle choices! Good health, after all, is a sum total of great lifestyle habits we cultivate on a day to day basis – diet, nutrition intake, exercise, sleep and a good mental attitude …the old school stuff! Yes, that is what makes up for most part of good health. Therefore, smoking, drinking, skipping meals, not prioritizing exercising, lack of sleep, frequent snacking on food that is ‘too quick to release sugar into blood’ (you know what I am referring to) and not learning how to deal with day to day stressors – this is the list of things that can arguably cause Syndrome X. Pre-diabetes stage, full-blown adult onset Diabetes or Type 2 diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome, gout etc. – these lurk around the corner as good lifestyle choices are ignored and such abuse becomes chronic.

What is important to note is that Insulin Resistance is a condition that is linked to an increased risk of not only diabetes but also heart disease. It’s been a while this has been recognized as a fact – almost 5 decades! Abdominal obesity is more highly correlated with insulin resistance than simply body weight or BMI (body mass index).

When there is presence of multiple risk factors from the following, viz.,

1)     Abdominal Obesity: Look at defining levels of waist circumference : 40 inches and 35 inches or more in men and women respectively

2)     Heightened Triglycerides levels

3)     Heightened blood pressure

4)     Fasting glucose beyond prescribed limits

…an alarm bell needs to ring! A stitch in time saves nine – remember the proverb? Now, “should you be concerned about a pot-belly or abdominal obesity? Answering that question, ‘acting on it’ part of it – I gracefully leave it on to you.

What is your plan for a proper upkeep of your health and fitness level? What would you like to share, that you are doing or you are planning to do, so that others can benefit? I would love to hear from you.

Disclaimer:

Please note no content part of this article, comments etc., should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. The information shared is for educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician, or other healthcare professional. Do not disregard, avoid, or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your because of something you have learnt from this article. The use of any information provided is solely at your own risk.