Cox News Service
DAYTON, Ohio -- When asked what area of the body they would most
like to lose weight, the majority of people report that it would be
the midsection. Although a goal for many people, reducing the size
of the waist can seem like an impossible task. Why is this?
Your body is very adept at storing calories consumed above and
beyond your daily energy needs as fat. You can think of your fat
cells as tiny balloons, inflating when filled, and deflating when
fat is mobilized, as during exercise. Fat cells are found
throughout the body, and so, when weight is gained or lost, it is
visible head to toe, hence, the inability to spot reduce.
Distribution of fat cells, however, varies from person to
person, with some people carrying more weight around the waistline
(apple shaped) and others to a greater degree around the hips and
thighs (pear shaped). When your body uses calories, its primary
choice of fuel is from its carbohydrate stores. Fat is also burned,
but to a lesser degree. Protein's primary purpose is for recovery
and repair of the body and to make enzymes, hormones and other
chemicals. Unlike fat and carbs, it cannot be stored. Therefore,
any excess calories from protein beyond what the body needs is
converted to fat, and stored in the fat cells.
Body fat comes in different types. Subcutaneous fat is the most
noticeable because it is located just under the skin, and is what
most people focus on when trying to lose weight. Examples of
subcutaneous fat are the so-called "love handles" that men tend
to have on the sides of the waist or the "saddlebags" that women
may have on the thighs. Subcutaneous fat accumulates slowly over
time and is difficult to get rid of once it is stored. This type of
fat is easy to see and to grab, as when doing skinfold caliper
testing to determine body composition.
While it is important to keep subcutaneous fat at a healthy
level, visceral fat has the greatest negative impact on health.
Ideally we would be at least, if not more, concerned with the
amount of visceral fat we have deposited around the middle than we
are with the more obvious subcutaneous amounts. Visceral fat cannot
be measured with skinfold caliper testing because it lies much
deeper, around the internal organs. A good illustration of visceral
fat would be someone who has a "potbelly," which is rounded and
large, and hard to the touch. Here, the accumulation of visceral
fat surrounding the internal organs is pushing outward against the
abdominal muscles, causing them to be stretched tightly. This type
of abdominal fat is easily stored, but is also easily released.
Contrast the potbelly with someone who is considerably
overweight, yet has more subcutaneous fat (easily seen) around the
middle and very little visceral fat. Numerous studies have shown
that subcutaneous fat presents substantially less health risk than
visceral abdominal fat. When visceral fat is released into the
blood stream, it often ends up clogging coronary arteries and can
lead to problems such as high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol,
diabetes and other problems.
Marjie Gilliam is an International Sports Sciences Association
Master certified personal trainer and fitness consultant. Her Web
site is at www.ohtrainer.com. This article appeared in the Dayton
Daily News.