Love handles and fat bellies can send you to an early grave

Love Handles and Fat Bellies Increase Risk of Death

Love handles and bulging bellies are linked by a new report to a higher risk of early deaths. The study appeared Monday in the online edition of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

Experts examined 16,000 patients with heart disease and concluded that those with the biggest waistlines and love handles were most likely to suffer from a heart attack or other heart conditions.

Obesity has long been linked to heart disease and risk of early death, but researchers of the study said that central obesity gives the highest risk.

"Fat does matter. But it depends on how you measure it. It's mostly about fat distribution and not total fatness," said lead study author Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

The study highlights the limitations of the common obesity tool called BMI (body mass index). BMI measures the ratio between your weight and height. The higher the BMI score, the greater the estimated body fat. But the tool does not measure fat distribution ( like love handles in the waistline) and actual percentage of body fat, two factors that are crucial to determining obesity and overall heart risk.

Participants of the study with bulging bellies and love handles were found to have a 1.7 times increased likelihood of dying during follow-up compared to those with regular waistlines. Men are advised to keep their waistlines below 40 inches while women will lower their risk if they maintain less than 35 inches.

Doctors also look for other factors other than obesity to gauge the risk of heart problems and sudden cardiac death, including blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure and lifestyle.

To reduce the risk of dying suddenly from a heart attack, health experts recommend exercising regularly to minimize those fat bellies and love handles.

Posted by George Daniels on Tuesday May 03 2011, 5:29 AM EST. Ref: WSJ. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Health. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0