Carrying excess weight around the middle can impair lung function,adding to a long list of health problems associated with belly fat,according to a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. Abdominal obesity is already linked with diabetes,high blood pressure and heart disease as part of a cluster of health problems known collectively as metabolic syndrome. Researchers have now shown that a large waist measurement is strongly associated with decreased lung function,regardless of other complicating factors that affect the lungs such as overall obesity and smoking. The researchers analysed health statistics of 1,20,000 people,assessing demographic background,smoking history,alcohol consumption,as well as lung function with respect to a measure of obesity known as body mass index,waist circumference and other measures of metabolic health. We found a positive independent relationship between lung function impairment and metabolic syndrome mainly due to abdominal obesity, says Dr Natalie Leone of the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research. The researchers defined abdominal obesity as having a waist circumference of greater than 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men. The researchers think belly fat may impair the way the diaphragm and chest function. Fat tissue is also known to increase inflammation in the body,which may be playing a role. Dr Paul Enright of the University of Arizona said in a commentary that there is now enough evidence to include waist measurements as part of routine assessments of lung function. Abdominal obesity could then be highlighted on the printed report so that the physician interpreting the report could take the effect of obesity into account, Enright wrote. Other evils of a paunch • Excess belly fat lying deeper in your abdomen is the fat that research shows can raise the risk of heart disease,stroke,breast and colon cancer,and dementia • Belly fat combined with high stress levels may boost the risk of Type 2 diabetes,insulin resistance in case of men,low levels of good LDL cholesterol and sleep apnea • Belly fat may also be linked to an increased risk for migraines,at least till the age of 55. And it is a better indicator in case of women than men. Women with extra belly fat are 30 per cent more likely to experience migraines than women without excess belly fat • The bad news is that even being normal weight or thin does not ensure that you have no belly fat. And the pinch test pinching skin from the belly to see if is comes to more than an inch is not enough to tell if you have belly fat. This fat lies deep,stored around the organs,so even thin people may harbour a consider amount of belly fat. A study of 800 people by researchers at Londons Imperial College found 45 per cent of thin women and 65 per cent of slim men carried excess visceral fat • Belly fat may be the result of age,lack of exercise and regular alcohol intake. It may also be genetic. But with regular exercise and moderation of calorie intake,the problem can be controlled
