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Evidence
suggests that fat concentrated around the abdomen presents increased
health risks than fat deposited elsewhere on the body. This type of
upper body fat and its inherent risk are independent of total body fat
and carry with it an increase of various types of cancer, heart
disease, strokes, diabetes and hypertension. The reasons for this are
not exact. But abdominal fat does seem to be more active than other
types of fat. This type of fat goes directly to the liver rather than
into the total body circulation, as do other types of fat. This fat
eventually becomes LDL, which is often referred to as 'bad
cholesterol', and is associated with an increase in heart disease. In
response to these lipid fluctuations, hormones and neurotransmitters
are signaled by the body, which, in turn, raises blood and heart rate.
This response aggravates conditions of heart problems and hypertension.
Lastly, because fat metabolism affects the efficiency of the liver to
retrieve insulin from the blood, conditions of diabetes are
exacerbated. I find studies that show people who smoke and drink
excessively have relatively high proportions of upper body fat as
opposed to the general population. |