Abdominal obesity

Abdominal obesity
Other namesCentral obesity, truncal obesity; see also § Colloquialisms
An abdominous obese male
Weight: 182 kg/400 lbs
Height: 185 cm/6 ft 1 in
Body mass index: 53
SpecialtyEndocrinology
ComplicationsHeart disease, asthma, stroke, diabetes
CausesSedentary lifestyle, overeating, Cushing's syndrome, alcoholism, Polycystic ovarian syndrome, Prader-Willi syndrome

Abdominal obesity, also known as central obesity and truncal obesity, is the human condition of an excessive concentration of visceral fat around the stomach and abdomen to such an extent that it is likely to harm its bearer's health. Abdominal obesity has been strongly linked to cardiovascular disease,[1] Alzheimer's disease, and other metabolic and vascular diseases.[2]

Visceral fat, central abdominal fat, and waist circumference show a strong association with type 2 diabetes.[3]

Visceral fat, also known as organ fat or intra-abdominal fat, is located inside the peritoneal cavity, packed in between internal organs and torso, as opposed to subcutaneous fat, which is found underneath the skin, and intramuscular fat, which is found interspersed in skeletal muscle. Visceral fat is composed of several adipose depots including mesenteric, epididymal white adipose tissue (EWAT), and perirenal fat. An excess of adipose visceral fat is known as central obesity, the "pot belly" or "beer belly" effect, in which the abdomen protrudes excessively. This body type is also known as "apple shaped", as opposed to "pear shaped" in which fat is deposited on the hips and buttocks.

Researchers first started to focus on abdominal obesity in the 1980s when they realized it had an important connection to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. Abdominal obesity was more closely related with metabolic dysfunctions connected with cardiovascular disease than was general obesity. In the late 1980s and early 1990s insightful and powerful imaging techniques were discovered that would further help advance the understanding of the health risks associated with body fat accumulation. Techniques such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging made it possible to categorize mass of adipose tissue located at the abdominal level into intra-abdominal fat and subcutaneous fat.[4]

Abdominal obesity is linked with higher cardiovascular events among South Asian ethnic population.[5]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Yusuf2004 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Razay2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Anjana M, Sandeep S, Deepa R, Vimaleswaran KS, Farooq S, Mohan V (December 2004). "Visceral and central abdominal fat and anthropometry in relation to diabetes in Asian Indians". Diabetes Care. 27 (12): 2948–53. doi:10.2337/diacare.27.12.2948. PMID 15562212.
  4. ^ Poehlman ET (1998). "Abdominal Obesity: The Metabolic Multi-risk Factor". Coronary Heart Disease. 9 (8): 469–471. doi:10.1097/00019501-199809080-00001. S2CID 57778374.
  5. ^ Misra A, Soares MJ, Mohan V, Anoop S, Abhishek V, Vaidya R, Pradeepa R (2018). "Body fat, metabolic syndrome and hyperglycemia in South Asians". Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications. 32 (11): 1068–1075. doi:10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2018.08.001. PMID 30115487. S2CID 52020830 – via PubMed.