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The surprising health risk of a big belly
28th March 2008
If there's one place I struggle with when it comes
to weight, it's my belly.
Notice I use the word 'IF'. The truth is I have the
capacity to put on weight anywhere, especially
since I turned forty.
In fact I swear even my ears are a bit plumper
than they were a few years ago.
But the real problem area the one I have to
actively work at is my stomach.
No one likes the look of a fat stomach (even if
Lara says it's cute when I let myself go a little.
But then she thinks pigs are cute too. Hmmm...),
but more importantly, we all know losing the
belly and keeping trim lowers the risk of heart
disease, high blood pressure, diabetes.
But there's another risk that may come as a
surprise to you...
The connection between your belly and
your brain
A team of US researchers from Kaiser Permantle
(a huge healthcare company) have recently
discovered that having a big waistline could
almost triple your chances of suffering from
Alzheimer's in your old age.
Thirty years ago, they took 6,583 people aged
between 4045, measured their abdominal fat
levels, then monitored these people all they way
into their 70s, splitting them into two groups
along the way...
Those who developed serious illness, and those
who stayed relatively healthy.
The results were pretty conclusive...
20% of people who were biggest round the waist
were 270% more likely to suffer from dementia
than people who were smallest round the waist.
That's right almost TRIPLE.
All right, so let's say the people who had the
largest waistlines probably suffered from an
overall obesity problem and that's something
that's been linked to Alzheimer's for quite some
time.
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All right, so let's say the people who had the
largest waistlines probably suffered from an
overall obesity problem - and that's something
that's been linked to Alzheimer's for quite some
time.
But the research also through up something that
really surprised me...
You don't have to be obviously overweight to be
at risk. In fact you don't have to be overweight at
all.
In the same study, people who were considered
normal weight using standard BMI calculations,
but who had a waistline that was bigger than
average, suffered a 90% increased risk of
dementia.
Which means you could enjoy a perfect weight
for your height, but if your waistline is bigger
than it should be, then the threat of Alzheimer's
goes through the roof.
Especially if you're in your forties.
Head of the study - Dr Rachel Whitmer - put it
like this:
'It is well known that being overweight in
midlife and beyond increases risk factors for
disease. However, where one carries the weight,
especially in midlife, appears to be an important
predictor for dementia risk.'
Which means simply hopping onto the scales and
falling within a safe weight range for your height
is no longer good enough.
As Professor Clive Ballard, of the Alzheimer's
Society, said:
'This new study highlights that having a large
abdomen, regardless of weight, also significantly
increases your risk.'
So what can we do?
Well, I think it's a problem that's best tackled in
two ways...
The first step to protecting your brain
from your belly... |
First off, it's clear that having a large stomach
could lead to serious health problems. At the very
least it will increase your risk of these problems,
so try this strategy to lose the belly.
I won't kid you, it's not going to be easy. Your
abdomen is one of the hardest places to shift
weight from. In fact, it's SO hard, that many
people resort to dangerous drugs or surgery to
solve the problem.
In my view, this isn't the answer. I don't think our
bodies were built to have a vacuum cleaner
shoved in them, and you know my views on man-
made drugs.
So, no matter how tough a process it is, try the
following:
- Up your cardiovascular exercise. Most people
think that doing 1000 sit ups will shrink the
belly fat, but it doesn't work like that. Doing
1000 sit ups will strengthen the muscles and
build them up, but it will do very little for
getting rid of the fat that's lolling around in
front of them!
In fact, a half hour brisk walk or a bike ride
will do a much better job of shifting waist
weight than a whole day of sit ups. But make
sure it's a minimum of half an hour. Any less
than that, and you'll get a great heart and lung
workout, but you won't burn off any fat.
- Get some help. I don't mean splash out £1,000
on some flashy gym that has great hairdryers
and a nice reception. But shifting weight,
especially round the tummy, can be a chore,
so it's nice to have some support and
encouragement along the way.
- Sort your diet out. Like I always say, you
don't have to throw all your treats in the bin.
You just have to eat sensibly. Eat a variety of
foods, making sure you get plenty of fresh,
British fruit and veg into your diet. Cut down
on dairy products, cut down on sugars, cut out
processed foods (again, if you love white
bread bacon butties, don't deny yourself, but
make it a treat rather than a daily snack), and
your weight will start to look after itself.
Right, that's the weight loss side taken care of.
Now let's look at some other smart, natural ways
to keep the threat of Alzheimer's at bay: |
- Get fatty!
Whaaaaat? But I just said you should LOSE
fat. What's going on...?
Well I'm talking about fish fats, or good fats,
which are essential to a healthy body and have
been shown to be a great defence against
Alzheimer's.
People who eat an average of 180 mg or more
a day of DHA (the fatty acid found in fish
oils) have a lower incidence of Alzheimer's
disease and other types of dementia compared
with people who consume less DHA. So
stock up on plenty of tuna and salmon.
- Drink tea. Green tea actually. Scientists have
discovered that an ingredient in green tea,
EGCG, decreases the body's production of a
certain protein that's though to be one of the
building blocks of Alzheimer's.
- Muira puama. This steamy little herb has long
been used as a potent sexual stimulant, but it
could also help you in the fight against
Alzheimer's.
I wrote about muira puama a while back, so
go to http://www.goodlifeletter.co.uk and have a
peek.
Okay, that's it for this today. I'm off for a bike
ride now, avoiding all the roads that lead to sweet
shops. |
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