If the findings of a new study are anything to go by, merely being thin is just not good enough to thwart the risks of being obese. The study established that scores of people had excess of body fat even though they were slim and trim. The upshot of the study is that being merely slim outwardly does not render one healthy.
Normal weight obesity
Researchers aver that such a condition is termed as ‘normal weight obesity’ in medical parlance. "Women with normal weight obesity, meaning those who have high fat and a normal weight have a two times increased risk for death or dying from heart problems or a strok
e," said Dr. Francisco Lopez Jimenez, lead author of the study.
Visceral fat: the culprit
For the purpose of the study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic examined over 6,000 subjects over a nine year period. The analysis revealed that 20 to 30 percent of these participants had body fat levels that could be termed as dangerous. This excess fat made these individuals more susceptible to diseases of the heart. Such individuals were more prone to high blood pressure and diabetes that are invariably triggered by obesity. "You cannot confuse being slim with being healthy. In fact, what this Mayo Clinic study found is that you can have internal fat -- we call it visceral fat -- that actually surrounds your internal organs, even if externally your body looks slim," said CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton while confirming that a person could look slim, but still be obese. Experts opine that, in generally, females should possess a fat to muscle ratio below 30 percent. On the other hand, males should have a body fat percentage of less than 25 percent.
For Further: www.themedguru.com/20100128/newsfeature/looking-slim-not-equal-not-being-obese-study-86131995.html
Normal weight obesity
Researchers aver that such a condition is termed as ‘normal weight obesity’ in medical parlance. "Women with normal weight obesity, meaning those who have high fat and a normal weight have a two times increased risk for death or dying from heart problems or a strok
e," said Dr. Francisco Lopez Jimenez, lead author of the study.Visceral fat: the culprit
For the purpose of the study, researchers at the Mayo Clinic examined over 6,000 subjects over a nine year period. The analysis revealed that 20 to 30 percent of these participants had body fat levels that could be termed as dangerous. This excess fat made these individuals more susceptible to diseases of the heart. Such individuals were more prone to high blood pressure and diabetes that are invariably triggered by obesity. "You cannot confuse being slim with being healthy. In fact, what this Mayo Clinic study found is that you can have internal fat -- we call it visceral fat -- that actually surrounds your internal organs, even if externally your body looks slim," said CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton while confirming that a person could look slim, but still be obese. Experts opine that, in generally, females should possess a fat to muscle ratio below 30 percent. On the other hand, males should have a body fat percentage of less than 25 percent.
For Further: www.themedguru.com/20100128/newsfeature/looking-slim-not-equal-not-being-obese-study-86131995.html
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