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Belly fat affects your breathing
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Give your breathers a break Photo:dietitian.net
Abdominal obesity (having a waist circumference greater than 35 inches for women and greater than 40 inches for men) has already been associated with diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and many other health problems that have been collectively defined as metabolic syndrome. A current study, by French researchers, shows there is yet another reason to lose that belly fat.
After studying over 120,000 people, they found that abdominal obesity is strongly associated with decreased lung function.
Dr. Natalie Leone, of the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research, wrote in the second issue for March of the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine that there may be numerous reasons why increased abdominal fat could limit or decrease lung function.
Possible reasons are that the amount of fat tissue in the body increases levels of inflammation and decreases levels of anti-inflammatory markers and that belly fat may affect or impair the way the diaphragm and chest function.
Dr. Paul Enright, of the University of Arizona, who wrote an accompanying editorial, agreed that further study is needed to help explain the relationship between abdominal obesity and decreased lung function. He added,
"I believe there is now enough evidence to recommend that waist circumference always be measured before spirometry [lung function] tests. 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."
More than half of American adults today have what is considered to be excess abdominal fat. The good news is that belly bulge can be beat with healthy diet and exercise.
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