Abdominal Obesity = Belly Fat

Saturday, May 30, 2009

Abdominal obesity colloquially known as belly fat or clinically as central obesity, is the accumulation of visceral fat resulting in an increase in waist size. There is a strong correlation between central obesity and cardiovascular disease.^[1]

Visceral fat, also known as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat, is located inside the peritoneal cavity, packed in between internal organs and torso, as opposed to subcutaneous fat which is found underneath the skin, and intramuscular fat which is found interspersed in skeletal muscle. Visceral fat is composed of several adipose depots including mesenteric, epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT) and perirenal depots. An excess of visceral fat is known as central obesity, the "pot belly" or "beer belly" effect, in which the abdomen protrudes excessively. This body type is also known as "apple shaped", as opposed to "pear" shape, in which fat is deposited on the hips and buttocks.

Abdominal obesity, colloquially known as belly fat or clinically as central obesity, is the accumulation of visceral fat resulting in an increase in waist size. There is a strong correlation between central obesity and cardiovascular disease.^[1]

Visceral fat, also known as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat, is located inside the peritoneal cavity, packed in between internal organs and torso, as opposed to subcutaneous fat which is found underneath the skin, and intramuscular fat which is found interspersed in skeletal muscle. Visceral fat is composed of several adipose depots including mesenteric, epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT) and perirenal depots. An excess of visceral fat is known as central obesity, the "pot belly" or "beer belly" effect, in which the abdomen protrudes excessively. This body type is also known as "apple shaped", as opposed to "pear" shape, in which fat is deposited on the hips and buttocks.

Causes

The immediate cause of obesity is net energy imbalance--the organism consumes more usable calories than it expends, wastes, or discards via elimination. The fundamental cause of obesity is not well understood, but is presumably a combination of the organism's genes and environment. The specific cause of central distribution of fat is also not well understood.

In humans, central obesity is correlated with overeating and a sedentary lifestyle. Hypercortisolism, such as in Cushings syndrome also leads to central obesity. Many prescription drugs can also have side effects resulting in obesity.

Health risks

Central obesity is associated with a statistically higher risk of heart disease, hypertension, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus type 2 (see below). Belly fat is a symptom of metabolic syndrome, and is an indicator used in the diagnosis of that disorder.^{[4][5][6] [7]}

Central obesity can be a feature of lipodystrophies, a group of diseases which is either inherited, or due to secondary causes (often protease inhibitors, a group of medications against AIDS). Central obesity is a symptom of Cushing's syndrome^[8] and is also common in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Central obesity is associated with glucose intolerance and dyslipidemia.

Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belly_fat