Reducing abdominal fat to eliminate health problems

Extra Baggage

Abdominal fat is such a typical characteristic of middle age that many people simply regard it as part of the middle age package.

But a new study shows that those who are diligent in finding a way to reduce abdominal fat may also help reduce the risk of one of the most serious health problems facing middle-aged and elderly people. Coincidentally, another study published this month demonstrates how a simple dietary change may help get rid of abdominal fat.

Revealing ratio

Study number one, from Tel-Aviv University in Israel, examines a potential link between the distribution of body fat and stroke risk.

During the 1960s, Tel-Aviv researchers recruited more than 9,000 male subjects over the age of 40 who were free of cardiovascular disease. Distribution of body fat was determined by comparing two measurements for each subject: skinfold thickness in the abdomen and skinfold thickness of the triceps. These measurements provided a ratio for trunk versus peripheral distribution of fat.

Over a 23-year follow up period, 316 subjects died of stroke. Researchers found that subjects with the highest ratio of trunk versus peripheral fat (in other words; those with excessive abdominal fat) were found to be one and a half times more likely to have a stroke compared to subjects with the lowest ratio.

In an interview with Reuters Health, lead author of the study, David Tanne, M.D., noted that excessive abdominal fat also raises the risk of other factors associated with metabolic syndrome, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. (For more on metabolic syndrome see the e-Alert “X Marks the Spot” (4/15/04) on our web site at hsionline.com.)

Baggage claim

When it comes to reducing abdominal fat, regular exercise is a must. There’s no way to duck this one: To get rid of that extra baggage around the middle, you’re going to have to get up and get moving.

But once you do get moving, there are other ways to help the cause.

In the e-Alert “Beef ‘n’ Butter” (4/20/04), I told you how an intake of a fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) may provide a boost when it comes to getting rid of excess body fat, especially in the abdominal area. CLA is available in supplement form and from protein-rich dietary sources such as meat and dairy products.

This association between protein intake and a trimmer waist is confirmed in a new study published in the Journal of Nutrition. Researchers from Canada’s Population Health Research Institute recruited more than 600 male and female subjects with a variety of ethnic backgrounds. After subjects completed food frequency questionnaires they were measured to determine waist-hip ratio (WHR). Energy intake from protein averaged less than 16 percent in subjects with the highest WHR (indicating excessive abdominal fat). Those with the lowest WHR averaged 17.4 percent energy intake from protein.

In their conclusion the authors wrote: “Substituting a modest amount of protein for carbohydrate may reduce abdominal obesity.”

The key word here is “modest.” For many people, a slight dietary adjustment away from carbohydrates (especially simple carbs from refined food products) may help tuck in that middle-aged spread.

Sources:
“Body Fat Distribution and Long-Term Risk of Stroke Mortality” Stroke, Vol. 35, No. 5, May 2005, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
“Abdominal Fat Tied to Higher Stroke Risk” Amy Norton, Reuters Health, 5/10/05, reutershealth.com
“Protein Intake is Inversely Associated with Abdominal Obesity in a Multi-Ethnic Population” Journal of Nutrition, Vol. 135, No. 5, May 2005, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov