Obesity shortens life by two to four years, but how much depends on how the fat is distributed throughout the body.
We humans each have our own unique body structure given by nature. We say that those who accumulate fat around the waist have an apple shape, while those who mainly have fat on their thighs and hips are said to have a pear shape.
The main difference in body shape is that
- in people with an apple shape, the fat accumulates around the organs.
- in people with a pear shape, the fat is distributed more evenly throughout the body.
In short, an apple shape is dangerous and a pear shape is healthier, regardless of weight, according to the results of a new study conducted at the University of Tehran in Iran.
An apple shape shortens life
The Iranian review contains the results of a total of 72 previous studies involving data from 2.5 million trial participants.
The goal was to relate numbers to body shape, including the proportions between hips and thighs, hips and waist circumference, as well as waist and thigh circumference, and then relate the numbers to the mortality rate.
According to the Iranian study , the risk of premature death increased by eleven percent for every ten centimeters of waist size increase.
On the other hand, people who had more fat on their hips and thighs, compared to their stomach, had an 18% lower risk of dying prematurely for every extra five centimeters of thigh circumference.
The type of fat is important
This large difference in premature death by body shape is related to fat type.
- Abdominal fat is called visceral fat.
- Fat on the thighs and hips is called subcutaneous fat.
Scientists have long known that visceral fat is far more harmful than the rest.
Studies have shown that visceral fat is more insulin resistant, which increases blood sugar levels and, for the taste, also the risk of developing acquired diabetes.
Body fat is also associated with an increased risk of infections.
Other experiments have also revealed that stress causes organ fat to release more triglycerides into the blood than subcutaneous fat. Triglyceride is a type of fat that is linked to cardiovascular disease.
On the other hand, the subcutaneous fat absorbs triglycerides and prevents them from accumulating, including in the liver, where they could cause disease.
The two types of fat are completely different and are rooted in different genes. Scientists hypothesize that some people run out of subcutaneous fat earlier than others, and the fat accumulates as organ fat.
The new Iranian study emphasizes the fact that fat stores blood sugar as lipids, i.e. fatty substances intended for later use and which are of great importance for appetite control, for example.
It is therefore vital for us to have some fat, just not too much.
Fat Facts:
- The fat stores are a type of connective tissue hidden under the skin.
- Each individual fat cell is only about 0.1 mm in diameter, and almost all of its contents are fat that is partially in liquid form.
- The more energy-rich nutrients the fat cells absorb from the blood, the larger the cell becomes.
