{"id":7991,"date":"2018-11-01T11:00:16","date_gmt":"2018-11-01T11:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uk.inbody.com\/?p=7991"},"modified":"2018-11-02T13:47:15","modified_gmt":"2018-11-02T13:47:15","slug":"bmis-fat-secret","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ro.inbody.com\/ro\/bmis-fat-secret\/","title":{"rendered":"BMI\u2019s Fat Secret"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let\u2019s say you are an office worker that may have gained a little bit of weight since starting your new job and you want to assess your body weight. If you are like most, you will use the\u00a0Body Mass Index (BMI)<\/strong>, which is commonly used by physicians, insurance companies, and regular people around the world to determine if a person is considered overweight or obese.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

BMI scores are calculated from the\u00a0US National Institute of Health<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/h6>\n

After you calculate your score, you compare your BMI score against the Body Mass Index ranges set by the\u00a0World Health Organization.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Sursa:\u00a0<\/i>WHO<\/i><\/a><\/h6>\n

Your BMI score of 23.9 falls between 18.5 \u2013 24.9, so you are safe in the normal range. You will take it! But before you celebrate too much, consider this.<\/p>\n

Body Mass Index was\u00a0never intended to be used to measure individuals at all<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a quote from The World Health Organization<\/p>\n

The BMI provides the most useful population-level measure of overweight and obesity, as it is the same for both sexes and for all ages of adults. However, it should be considered as a rough guide because it may not correspond to the same body fat percentage in different individuals.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Despite this clear message, many doctors, physicians, and regular people continue to use BMI as a diagnostic tool simply out of\u00a0convenience<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

However, relying on BMI as your only health indicator can mask your risk for serious health issue because BMI can\u2019t tell the\u00a0difference between muscle mass and fat, and more importantly where the fat is distributed<\/a>. You might have unpleasant secret hiding behind that healthy BMI.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s test the same individual using a medical grade\u00a0body composition analyzer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"\"Visceral Fat<\/strong>\u00a0is based on the estimated amount of fat surrounding internal organs in the abdomen. It\u2019s also suggested to maintain a level under 100 cm\u00b2 to be healthy.<\/p>\n

Although a higher than\u00a0the recommended body fat percentage<\/a>\u00a0is what most people (and the media) focus on, this individual\u2019s high visceral fat is actually the worst of the two. \u00a0That\u2019s because visceral fat acts like\u00a0another living organ<\/a>\u00a0inside your abdominal cavity.<\/p>\n

What is Visceral Fat?<\/h2>\n

Visceral fat is a special kind of fat that is\u00a0hidden deep inside your abdomen<\/strong>\u00a0si\u00a0surrounds your inner organs<\/strong>. Everyone has some. \u00a0Unlike surface level (subcutaneous) fat, it\u2019s not easy to gauge how much visceral fat someone has just by looking at them. That\u2019s because visceral fat is hidden away in the abdominal cavity, in between your organs.<\/p>\n

If you rely on BMI as your primary tool to assess weight, you\u00a0may have significant amounts of visceral fat and not know it.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Unlike the organs that you were born with that sustain life, visceral fat actively works from the inside out to sabotage those organs and ruin your bodily functions.<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0Harvard University<\/a>, visceral fat secretes a number of hormones and chemicals. \u00a0One group of these chemicals is called cytokines. Cytokines play an important role in the human body, but increased levels of cytokines due to excess visceral fat can be problematic. Once cytokines enter the liver, they influence the production of blood lipids, which has been linked to higher cholesterol and insulin resistance.\u00a0This can lead to Type 2 diabetes.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Type 2 diabetes is typically associated with people who are overweight or obese, and individuals whose BMIs above the normal range (18.5-24.9) are said to be at a significantly greater health risk. However, BMI can misrepresent people who are either near or slightly over the 24.99 mark.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s not all. Individuals with normal BMI but high visceral fat level share similar risk profiles as those who are visibly obese. \u00a0Maintaining a high visceral fat can contribute to a\u00a0myriad of health complications<\/a>\u00a0including\u00a0high blood pressure, heart disease, cancer, and depression<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Depending on lifestyle factors, many people have a body profile like our example: large amounts of abdominal fat, yet a \u201cnormal\u201d BMI because they don\u2019t have much skeletal muscle mass. Due to the trend towards sedentary lifestyles, this is becoming more and more common.<\/p>\n

The Visceral Fat Recipe<\/span><\/h2>\n

Excess visceral fat is unnecessary fat and develops as a result of having a caloric surplus. \u00a0Unsurprisingly, visceral fat develops as a result of\u00a0adopting unhealthy lifestyle habits<\/a>. \u00a0Some of these factors include:<\/p>\n