Extra pounds around the waistline can be more than just unflattering--they can also contribute to serious health complications. A waist measurement of more than 33 inches in women and 40 inches in men can increase the risk of health conditions such as diabetes, according to MayoClinic.com. Because diabetes can be life threatening, it is important to understand how a large waist can cause it to occur--and how it can be treated and prevented.
How the Waist Expands
The metabolism slows down as you age, allowing the fat amount in the body to slowly rise. In addition, heredity, inactivity, menopause and hormone fluctuations can disrupt the way your body distributes and stores fat, causing it to accumulate around the waist. The fat located deep within the abdominal area, called visceral fat, is the fat linked to health problems such as diabetes. This fat develops around organs in the body.
Connection to Diabetes
According to the DiabetesHealth website, diabetes can occur when the visceral fat secretes a protein with inflammatory properties called interleukin-6. This can disrupt protein levels in the body, resulting in inflammation of veins. Diabetes can occur if this chronic inflammation disrupts the body's production of insulin, causing it to produce too little. In addition, the body can become resistant to insulin, preventing it from being used by your organs, muscles and liver cells.
Complications
Diabetes as the result of a large waist circumference can cause a variety of symptoms and complications. Fatigue can occur if the body's cells are sugar deprived. In addition, high amounts of blood sugar can pull the lenses from your eyes, resulting in blurry vision. Diabetes can also lead to cardiovascular conditions such as heart attack, high blood pressure, artery narrowing and chest pain. Excess amounts of sugar in the blood can also injure blood vessels, causing nerve damage.
Treatments
To treat and lower the risk of contracting diabetes, MayoClinic.com recommends concentrating on losing the visceral fat around the abdomen and waist. Change your eating habits by paying attention to the nutrition labels on food and increasing the amounts of vegetables and fruits you consume. Although you cannot target visceral fat, it does respond to regular exercise. Participate in some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes most days of the week.
