Fat. Most of us want to lose it. None of us want to gain it. Fat has been demonized for the better part of the last century, and it’s easy to see why. Not only can it lead to obesity, but it can lead to a host of diseases as well.
These diseases include (but are not limited to):
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Stroke
- Metabolic syndrome
- High cholesterol
- Osteoarthritis
- Cancer
- Sleep apnea
- Gallstones
It’s no surprise, then, that we’re seeing increased levels of these very same diseases at the same time we’re seeing increased levels of obesity.
How Fat Affects the Body
Fat isn’t all bad. In fact, we need some fat to stay healthy. It’s when fat becomes excessive that we become overweight and eventually, obese. As we continue to gain weight, we put excess strain on our internal organs, muscles, bones, joints and everything in between. Eventually, disease sets in.
Fat affects the body in the following ways:
- Stores excess calories for easy mobilization when you’re hungry
- Releases hormones that control your body’s metabolism
There are several different types of body fat, too. While they all can pose a health risk at excess levels, there’s one type that causes the most trouble: Visceral.
Visceral fat is the “deep” fat that wraps around your organs. This is the type of fat that poses the greatest risk to your health.
Medical experts believe that this deep fat plays a much larger role in insulin resistance, which increases your risk of developing diabetes and heart disease, than other types of fat.
Those with excess levels of visceral fat tend to carry more weight in their abdomen than other parts of the body.
Diseases Linked to Excess Fat
Heart Disease
It’s no big secret that excess fat and heart disease are linked. Just like any other tissue in your body, fat requires oxygen to stay alive. As a result, your heart has to work harder and recruits even more blood vessels to deliver this increased demand for oxygen.
In addition to this, excess fat will also get stored in your arteries. The more fat you accumulate, the harder your arteries get. Eventually, these passageways begin to narrow, and the heart has to work harder to maintain the same pressure.
Hardening of the arteries, or atherosclerosis, is ten times more common in obese people than it is in healthy people.
Joint Issues
Excess weight can put a strain on the hips and knees, which can lead to osteoarthritis. To make matters worse, joint surgery is often not an option for people who are obese because there is a much greater risk of the artificial joint breaking loose and causing even more damage.
Diabetes
One of the leading causes of Type 2 diabetes is obesity. Excess fat can lead to insulin resistance, which causes blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Even being moderately obese increases your risk of diabetes dramatically.
Diabetes can also put you at greater risk of developing heart disease.
Sleep Apnea
Obesity often leads to sleep apnea, which is one of the most dangerous sleep disorders. Sleep apnea causes you to stop breathing several times throughout the night. As a result, your oxygen levels plummet, which affects all of your body’s major organs.
These are just a few of the many health issues caused by fat. Keep in mind that these are just the physical conditions caused by excess fat. Being overweight or obese can cause several mental and emotional issues as well, including depression and low self-esteem.
What Causes Us to Store More Fat?
You know how fat affects the body and the diseases it can cause. But why does the body store so much fat? Why are people on “low fat” diets still gaining weight?
When the body takes in more calories than it needs, it stores them away as fat for safe mobilization when your body is hungry (think starvation). It’s not exactly new news that calorie consumption plays a major role in how much fat we gain, lose or maintain.
People also often make the mistake of believing that fat makes them fat. That’s simply not true. Believing this myth, people purchase low-fat or fat-free food products. Guess what? Food manufacturers replace that tasty fat with – you guess it – sugar.
Nearly everyone – yes, even the health conscious – consumes more than the recommended 9 teaspoons of sugar each day. And that excess sugar consumption can lead to fat storage if you’re not exercising enough.
Sugar makes you fat in two ways:
Blood Sugar Level Fluctuations
You eat what you think is a filling breakfast. Two hours later, you’re hungry again. You reach for a mid-morning snack, and you’re starving by lunch. What’s going on here? Chances are, sugar is to blame.
When you eat too much sugar, your pancreas has to work overtime to release enough insulin to make up for the insurgence. Once the insulin is released, your blood sugar levels crash, which leaves you feeling tired and hungry. Meanwhile, your body is using this opportunity to store fat. These quick fluctuations and drops in your blood sugar levels put your body into panic mode, which causes it to store more fat naturally.
Overloading the Liver
Your liver is like your body’s gas tank. Fill it with just the right amount of fuel (protein, carbs and healthy fat), and it will run smoothly. Fill it too much, and it will quickly overspill. This tends to happen when we eat too much sugar.
Sugar, particularly fructose, must be metabolized by the liver. If your liver is busy breaking down other nutrients, it puts the fructose on hold and simply stores it as fat.
How to Lose Fat and Get Healthy
The great news is that many of the health risks associated with obesity and being overweight can be largely avoided by simply adopting a healthy diet and exercise plan. As a health coach, I can help you reach this goal.
Together, we can create a lifestyle transformation plan that will help you:
- Lose weight
- Increase energy levels
- Reduce medication (when possible)
- Improve your self-esteem
- Adopt a positive outlook on life
- Feel comfortable in your own skin
For most of us, the biggest obstacle is learning how to eat right and exercise effectively. As an NES health practitioner, I can help you achieve your goals through a natural, holistic approach.
Contact me today to start your journey to optimal health.
