abdominal obesity – this is an excessive accumulation of adipose tissue in the upper half of the body and on the abdomen. With this type of obesity, the silhouette of a person begins to resemble the shape of an apple. Abdominal obesity is very dangerous not only for health, but also for life, as it significantly increases the risk of developing diabetes, hypertension, cancer, heart attack and stroke. If we turn to the numbers, then the likelihood of oncological diseases increases 15 times, cardiac ischemia – 35 times, and stroke – 56 times.
Abdominal obesity is also called visceral, upper or android obesity. In this disease, fat surrounds all the internal organs of a person, including the heart, pancreas, liver and lungs. The maximum accumulation of adipose tissue is observed in the intestine, it also forms the anterior wall of the peritoneum. If we weigh the visceral fat of a person with normal body weight, then it will be about 3 kg, in obese people this figure can be safely multiplied by 10. If normally, fat simply envelops the internal organs and allows them to function normally, then in a person with abdominal obesity it compresses all organs. As a result, lymphatic drainage and blood circulation suffer.
People with this type of obesity are unable to tolerate physical activity normally. After all, the heart has to work not just in an enhanced, but in an extreme mode. In parallel, the functioning of the lungs and other important internal organs is disrupted. Most often, men suffer from abdominal type of obesity.
Symptoms of abdominal obesity
Symptoms of abdominal obesity are reduced, first of all, to an excess of adipose tissue in the upper half of the body and on the abdomen. A similar diagnosis can be made when the waist circumference of a man exceeds 94 cm, and that of a woman is 80 cm. Moreover, the mass index often remains within the normal range.
Another sign indicating abdominal obesity is the presence of concomitant diseases, including:
Type 2 diabetes;
Arterial hypertension;
insulin resistance;
Violation of the metabolism of uric acid;
Dyslipidemia.
It has been established that visceral fat accumulated in the abdominal type of obesity acts as an endocrine organ and produces the stress hormone cortisol. As a result, the patient’s body experiences chronic stress, which makes the internal organs work in an enhanced mode.
Another hormone produced by belly fat is interleukin-6 (an inflammatory hormone). Therefore, even a minor disease, such as SARS, can lead to serious complications.
In men with abdominal obesity, the amount of female sex hormones increases, which leads to problems with potency and infertility. Female sexual function suffers from visceral fat no less, especially if its volume exceeds the norm by 40% or more.
An excess amount of hormones negatively affects the functioning of all organs and systems, every cell of the body suffers. Cholesterol accumulates in the vessels, the intestines are not able to process the volumes of food entering it, people often suffer from constipation, flatulence, while the process of deposition of visceral fat does not stop. People with abdominal obesity often have sleep apnea, which is accompanied by respiratory arrest.
Causes of abdominal obesity
The causes of abdominal obesity in 90% of cases are the inability of the body to fully spend the energy received from outside. It comes in the form of kilocalories with food. That is, low physical activity combined with overeating will definitely lead to the accumulation of excess fat.
Factors that provoke abdominal obesity are considered to be:
Hypodynamia;
Hereditary predisposition to malfunctions of the enzymatic system;
An irrational approach to nutrition with an excess of fatty, sweet, salty foods. Abuse of alcoholic beverages;
Overeating against the background of stress, namely, psychogenic overeating;
Diseases of the endocrine system, for example, Itsenko-Cushing’s syndrome, hypothyroidism, etc.;
Obesity due to an altered physiological state, for example, during childbearing or during menopause;
Chronic fatigue syndrome, stress, taking psychotropic and hormonal drugs.
Treatment of abdominal obesity
Treatment of abdominal obesity should begin with the right mental attitude. It is important that a person is motivated not only to improve their appearance, but also to eliminate health problems. At the same time, the goals must be realistic, that is, those that he would be able to achieve.
The diet should be built in such a way that the amount of kilocalories consumed per day is reduced by 300-500 kcal. In parallel, it is necessary to increase physical activity. It is important to limit the consumption of animal fats and refined carbohydrates, and protein and fiber should be ingested in normal amounts. Food should be boiled, baked, steamed, but not fried. You should eat at least 5 times a day, while it is important to limit the intake of salt and spices.
However, only a hypocaloric diet is not enough to reduce body weight, since the effect will be minimal due to a slowdown in metabolic processes. That is why physical activity is so important.
As for the drug correction of obesity, it is prescribed if for 12 or more weeks a hypocaloric diet does not work. Drugs that allow you to eliminate the feeling of hunger – Fepranon, Regenon, Desopimon, Mirapont. They accelerate saturation, but their intake threatens with the development of side effects, among which the most formidable is addiction.
Sometimes patients are prescribed the antidepressant Fluoxetine or the fat-mobilizing drug Adiposin. However, most doctors prefer drugs such as Xenical (reduces the absorption of fats in the intestine) and Meridia (accelerates the satiety process). They are considered the safest and are not addictive.
It is necessary that a person receive psychological support, change his attitude to the culture of nutrition, to eating behavior, to the lifestyle in general. It is important not only to achieve your goal and lose extra pounds, but also to keep the weight in the future.
As for surgical methods of treatment, it is possible to carry out operations aimed at reducing the volume of the stomach or removing part of the intestine. But the long-term effect of such interventions remains unpredictable.
In order to achieve a cosmetic effect, you can resort to liposuction. However, recent studies conducted by scientists from the University of São Paulo have made it possible to draw certain conclusions regarding the effectiveness of liposuction. Those women who did not start exercising after surgical fat removal increased their visceral fat reserves by 4% after 10 months. Therefore, in order to avoid health problems, you need to give up a sedentary lifestyle and start active training.