Belly bulge can be deadly for older adults

Aug. 9, 2010, I got an article off the Internet. It was entitled "Belly bulge can be deadly for older adults," by Carla K. Johnson, AP medical writer. She was writing about a new study appearing in that Monday's archives of Internal Medicine. It was described as "One of the largest studies to examine the dangers of abdominal fat..." and "...the first to analyze waist size and deaths for people in three BMI (Body Mass Index) categories: normal, overweight and obese." In all three groups, waist size was linked to higher risk. "About 2% of people in the study had normal BMI numbers but larger than recommended waists." The study suggests that men and women with the biggest waistlines have twice the risk of dying over a decade as those with the smallest tummies. Surprising, bigger waists carry a greater risk of death even for people whose weight is "normal" by the Body Mass Index or BMI, a standard measure based on weight and height. "Even if you haven't had a noticeable weight gain, if you notice your waist size increasing that's an important sign," said lead author Eric Jacobs of The American Cancer Society, which funded the study.

The study used data from more than 100,000 people who were followed from 1997-2006. Nearly 15,000 people died during that time. Bulging bellies are a problem for most Americans older than 50. It is estimated that more than half of older men and more than 70 percent of older women have bigger waistlines than recommended. And it's a growing problem. Average waistlines have expanded by about an inch per decade since the 1960s.

To check your girth, wrap a measuring tape around your abdomen at the navel. Men should have an abdominal circumference of no more than 40 inches (37-39 according to a think tank meeting of the American Heart, Lung and Blood Institute in 2007). The researchers crunched numbers on waist circumference, height and weight to draw conclusions about who was more likely to die. Four extra inches around the waist increased the risk of dying from between 15 percent to 25 percent. Oddly the strongest link, 25 percent, was in women with a normal BMI. It's no wonder, as Tommy Thompsons, former secretary of Health and Human Services (who first gave the call for action on obesity) stated in a Fox News interview about a month ago, that the BMI was old technology. First developed in the 1830s, it didn't account for lean muscle, or distinguish between men, women and children. Body composition is the scientifically validated best technology today. He specifically noted the stay healthy BC-1 Bioimpedence body composition analyzer that we are proud to be using in our clinic. The University of Missouri School of Medicine stated - when using BMI it fails to identify half of the people who have excess body fat.

A tape measure or a belt that doesn't buckle the way it used to "may tell you things your scale doesn't," Jacobs said.

Dr. Samuel Klein, an obesity expert at Washington School of Medicine in St. Louis, who was not part of this study, commented about the theory held by some scientists that belly fat secretes proteins and hormones that contribute to inflammation and interferes with how the body processes insulin and raises cholesterol. He is skeptical about the theory. "Removing belly fat surgically doesn't lead to health improvements. That may be a stand-in for some other culprit that is causing both belly fat and poor health." Klein said the new study, while showing a link between waist size and mortality, doesn't pinpoint exactly how much belly fat is dangerous for normal, overweight and obese people. The 40-inch for men and 35-inch for women cut off points are irrelevant for many people, he said.

Folks, this is what we've been saying all along. The problem in most cases is too much insulin. But I was flabbergasted to see at the end of the article which stated "What can be done to fight belly fat? It's the same advice as for losing weight. Eat fewer calories and burn more through walking, bicycling and other aerobic exercise." ("Sit-ups are useless," Klein said.) Those of you who have read my past articles or have been to my free class on this topic know that this advice for the most part is essentially worthless in treating the underlying problem and sustaining long-term weight loss.

Hear how the Ideal Protein diet treatment is the best answer out there for this condition. To attend a free class or to schedule a free consultation please call (208) 772-6015. Come on Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint and Bonner County, let's shape up and get healthy together!