Your organs control your body’s basic functions, and when your organs are damaged, you need to alter your lifestyle — through diet, exercise, medication or a combination — to continue living. Too much body fat can hurt your organs — and the threat is not limited just to those considered “overweight” or “obese.” Visceral fat, the fat that surrounds your major organs, can occur in people of any size, posing potential risk to those who might never suspect a problem. A healthy diet and regular exercise will help prevent visceral body fat from building to unhealthy levels as well as help keep your major organs healthy.
Heart
Too much body fat can cause several heart-related problems. The most notable is the direct risk of heart disease and heart attack; the risk of either of these conditions rises in correlation with your body’s level of body fat. Too much body fat can also raise your cholesterol and blood pressure, causing your heart to work harder to push blood through your system.
Liver
Too much body fat can cause your liver to develop nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. While this disease is common and shows no symptoms, it can advance to a state of scarring and liver inflammation; this advanced state is known as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, according to MayoClinic.com. When left unchecked, the excess body fat associated with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis can turn into liver failure.
Pancreas
Diabetes is a condition in which your pancreas does not produce an appropriate amount of the hormone insulin to break down your blood sugar. The condition is often associated with those who are overweight, but it can occur in those who are skinny, too. People — even the skinny ones — who eat too much fatty and sugary food are likely to experience a buildup of visceral fat that can affect the pancreas and how it produces insulin. Too much body fat can also lead to insulin resistance, in which the insulin your body produces is not able to break down your blood sugar.
Lungs
Too much body fat around your lungs can hurt your ability to breathe properly. Excessive body fat can restrict your airways, affecting your ability to inhale and exhale in normal capacities. Not being able to inhale correctly prevents you from receiving the oxygen needed to power your body. Similarly, the inability to exhale properly affects the levels of carbon dioxide stored in your system.
Considerations
Discuss your body fat and overall health with your doctor. She can help you determine if you are at risk of fat-related health problems and, if so, suggest lifestyle changes, including to your diet and exercise regimen.
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