Abdominal Obesity - Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

2024 Author: Josephine Shorter | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 21:43

Abdominal obesity

Abdominal obesity is an excess of fatty tissue in the upper torso and abdomen. With this type of obesity, the silhouette of a person begins to resemble the shape of an apple. Abdominal obesity is very dangerous not only for health, but also for life, as it significantly increases the risk of developing diabetes mellitus, arterial hypertension, cancer, heart attack and stroke. If we look at the numbers, then the probability of oncological diseases increases 15 times, heart ischemia - 35 times, and stroke - 56 times.

Abdominal obesity is also referred to as visceral, upper or android obesity. In this disease, fat surrounds all internal organs of a person, including the heart, pancreas, liver and lungs. The maximum accumulation of adipose tissue is observed on the intestine, which also forms the anterior wall of the peritoneum. If you weigh the visceral fat of a person with normal body weight, then it will be about 3 kg, in obese people this figure can be safely multiplied by 10. If normally fat simply envelops the internal organs and allows them to function normally, then in a person with abdominal obesity it squeezes all organs. As a result, lymphatic drainage and blood circulation are affected.

People with this type of obesity are not able to tolerate physical activity normally. After all, the heart has to work not just in an enhanced mode, but in an extreme mode. In parallel, the functioning of the lungs and other important internal organs is disrupted. Most often, men suffer from abdominal obesity.

Content:

• Symptoms of abdominal obesity
• Causes of abdominal obesity
• Treatment of abdominal obesity

Symptoms of abdominal obesity

Symptoms of abdominal obesity are primarily reduced to an excess of adipose tissue in the upper half of the body and on the abdomen. Such a diagnosis can be made in the case when the waist circumference of a man exceeds 94 cm, and that of a woman - 80 cm. Moreover, the mass index often remains within the normal range.

Another sign that indicates abdominal obesity is the presence of concomitant diseases, including:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus;
• Arterial hypertension;
• Insulin resistance;
• Disorder of uric acid metabolism;
• Dyslipidemia.

It has been established that visceral fat accumulated in abdominal obesity acts as an endocrine organ and produces the stress hormone cortisol. As a result, the patient's body experiences chronic stress, which forces the internal organs to work in an enhanced mode.

Another hormone produced by abdominal fat is interleukin-6 (inflammation hormone). Therefore, even a minor illness, such as ARVI, can lead to serious complications.

In men with abdominal obesity, the amount of female sex hormones increases, which leads to problems with potency and infertility. Female sexual function suffers from visceral fat no less, especially if its volume exceeds the norm by 40% or more.

An excess amount of hormones negatively affects the functioning of all organs and systems, every cell of the body suffers. Cholesterol accumulates in the vessels, the intestines are not able to process the volumes of food entering it, people often suffer from constipation, flatulence, while the process of deposition of visceral fat does not stop. People with abdominal obesity often experience sleep apnea, which is accompanied by respiratory arrest.

Causes of abdominal obesity

The reasons for abdominal obesity in 90% of cases are the inability of the body to completely spend the energy received from the outside. It comes in the form of kilocalories with food. That is, low physical activity combined with overeating will definitely lead to the accumulation of excess fat.

The factors that provoke abdominal obesity are considered to be:

• Hypodynamia;
• Hereditary predisposition to malfunctions of the enzymatic system;
• An irrational approach to eating with an excess of fatty, sweet, salty foods. Alcohol abuse;
• Overeating against a background of stress, namely, psychogenic overeating;
• Diseases of the endocrine system, for example, Itsenko-Cushing's syndrome, hypothyroidism, etc.;
• Obesity due to an altered physiological state, for example, during childbearing or during menopause;
• Chronic fatigue syndrome, stress, taking psychotropic and hormonal drugs.

Treatment of abdominal obesity

Treatment for abdominal obesity should start with the right mental attitude. It is important that a person is motivated not only to improve their appearance, but also to eliminate health problems. In this case, the goals must be real, that is, those that he would be able to achieve.

The diet should be structured in such a way that the amount of kilocalories consumed per day decreases by 300-500 kcal. In parallel, it is necessary to increase physical activity. It is important to limit the consumption of animal fats and refined carbohydrates, and protein and fiber should be supplied to the body in normal amounts. Food must be boiled, baked, steamed, but not fried. You should eat at least 5 times a day, while it is important to limit the consumption of salt and spices.

However, only a hypocaloric diet for weight loss is not enough, since the effect will be minimal due to a slowdown in metabolic processes. Therefore, physical activity is so important.

As for the medical correction of obesity, it is prescribed if a hypocaloric diet does not bring an effect for 12 or more weeks. Preparations that allow you to eliminate the feeling of hunger - Fepranon, Regenon, Desopimon, Mirapont. They accelerate satiety, but their use threatens the development of side effects, among which the most formidable is addiction.

Sometimes patients are prescribed the antidepressant Fluoxetine or the fat-mobilizing drug Adiposin. However, most doctors prefer drugs such as Xenical (reduces the absorption of fat in the intestines) and Meridia (speeds up the satiety process). They are considered the safest and most non-addictive.

It is necessary for a person to receive psychological support, to change his attitude towards food culture, eating behavior, and the way of life in general. It is important not only to achieve your goal and lose extra pounds, but also to maintain weight in the future.

With regard to surgical methods of treatment, it is possible to carry out operations aimed at reducing the volume of the stomach or removing part of the intestine. But the long-term effect of such interventions remains unpredictable.

In order to achieve a cosmetic effect, you can resort to liposuction. However, recent studies conducted by scientists from the University of São Paulo have led to certain conclusions regarding the effectiveness of liposuction. Those women who did not start to engage in physical exercises after surgical fat removal, after 4 months increased their visceral fat storage by 10%. Therefore, to avoid health problems, you need to give up a sedentary lifestyle and start active training.

The author of the article: Kuzmina Vera Valerievna | Endocrinologist, nutritionist

Education: Diploma of the Russian State Medical University named after NI Pirogov with a degree in General Medicine (2004). Residency at Moscow State University of Medicine and Dentistry, diploma in Endocrinology (2006).