Imagine an inverted pyramid of conditions. At the top are heart disease and stroke. Beneath those is diabetes, which is a leading risk factor for both conditions. At the bottom of the pyramid is a high level of belly fat, which is a leading risk factor for all three conditions.
Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is one example of a certain level of belly fat. Your pancreas produces insulin to keep your blood sugar, or glucose, levels in normal range. Insulin helps your body process glucose for energy. When you become overweight, you increase the amount of glucose in your bloodstream, and your pancreas produces more insulin to handle the excess. Eventually, insulin production cannot keep up with the increased glucose, and your muscles, cells and liver cannot process the glucose for energy. Often with insulin resistance, your bloodstream will carry both excess glucose and excess insulin simultaneously. Insulin resistance puts you at greater risk for type 2 diabetes.
Pre-Diabetes
A high level of belly fat has a direct relationship to pre-diabetes, which occurs when the insulin levels in your blood are higher than they should be, but are not high enough to qualify for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. If you are pre-diabetic, you are likely to develop diabetes within 10 years, according to the CDC. However, the federally-funded study the Diabetes Prevention Program found that participants in the lifestyle intervention group cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. Lifestyle intervention included losing 5 to 7 percent of body weight through regular exercise and a healthy diet.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of conditions, any three of which qualify you for the diagnosis. Your excessive belly fat level gives you a waist size of 40 inches or more if you're a man and 35 inches or more if you're a woman. You may have high triglycerides, high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar or low levels of "good" cholesterol or you are taking medication to control these conditions. Without lifestyle changes that decrease your belly fat, your glucose levels will continue to increase. Obesity is a main indicator of metabolic syndrome. Body fat percentage of 25 or more or an "apple-shaped" body, which indicates abdominal obesity versus lower-body obesity, puts you at increased risk of metabolic syndrome.
An Outward Sign
Belly-fat levels are the most visible sign of possible insulin resistance, pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome. For other indicators, you will need a visit to the doctor to check your triglycerides, cholesterol and blood pressure. Otherwise, the three conditions usually have no symptoms you will notice. Your belly fat levels may be affecting your body for years before you realize it.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: FastStats -- Leading Causes of Death
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Chronic Disease Prevention & Health Promotion -- Diabetes
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: Insulin Resistance and Pre-Diabetes
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse: Diabetes Prevention Program
- MayoClinic.com: Metabolic Syndrome -- Causes
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