Men differ from women because they tend to gain weight in one main area—the belly. This produces unhealthy and unsightly ‘love handles’ that more importantly increase the risk of chronic disease and premature death.
The Dangers Of Belly Fat The Mayo Clinic advises that weight loss is important in men because it has been shown that truncal obesity (a term used to refer to fat around the abdomen), as is often seen in men, is more difficult to get rid of. It causes an increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, various cancers, sleep apnea, metabolic syndrome and even premature death, making it one of the most dangerous types of obesity. All Body Fat Is Not Equal The fat that lies just beneath the surface of your skin is known as subcutaneous fat. Conversely, belly fat is known as visceral fat, named so because it builds up in the spaces between and around the viscera or the internal organs inside the intestines and your gut. Dr. Dagogo-Jack, president of the American Diabetes Association, explains that belly fat makes toxins that affect the way the body works, including chemicals known as cytokines that increase risks for heart disease and promotes insulin resistance that poses a threat for the onset of type 2 diabetes. Researchers at the American Cancer Society also warn that cytokines cause inflammation that can lead to certain kinds of cancers, such as those of the colon, pancreas, and the esophagus. Waist Size Determines Your Risk Belly fat risks can be ascertained by measuring your waistline: the higher the size, the greater the risk. For men, a waist measurement of 40” or more is in the danger zone. The Higher Your Waist Size The Higher Your Risk For Premature Death Research conducted on 360,000 Europeans (Pischon, MD, et al) linked belly fat to early death. This is one of the largest and longest healthy studies ever conducted, and it found that those who had the most belly fat had a double risk for premature death versus those with the least amount of visceral fat (belly fat) as reported in the Nov. 12 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. The study also found that risk of death increased with waist circumference even in those who were not overweight or obese. The study’s author, Dr. Pischon, noted that belly fat is one of the few individual characteristics, alongside smoking and drinking, that can increase the risk for premature death. Dealing With Belly Fat If you have belly fat, you’ll find that it is hard to get rid of. It takes a great deal of motivation to change one’s patterns in life to get rid of visceral fat. Here are some tips to deal with your belly fat and reduce your risk for disease and premature death:
Men can only lose weight if they commit to eating better and exercising more. Going back to bad habits only adds back abdominal fat, and brings back a high risk of heart disease and other diseases commonly associated with obesity.
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Binge eating is not just a habit. There is an actual disease called “binge eating disorder” in which you eat abnormally large amounts of food with an inability to stop eating when your body is technically full. This is a dangerous, life threatening condition, but help is available and recovery is possible.
While you can over eat every once in a while, binge eaters consistently eat too much but do not use laxatives or purge to get rid of the food. Many people who have a binge eating disorder are obese, but some are of a normal weight. The signs and symptoms of having binge eating disorder include the following:
Risk Factors for Binge Eating There are some factors in your life that can increase your chances of having a binge-eating problem. These include the following:
Binge eating can cause both physical and psychological problems. Some of the major dangers of binge eating include the following:
Diagnosing Binge Eating Disorder In order to make the diagnosis of a binge eating disorder, you may need to see a psychological professional for a full evaluation of your eating behaviors. Tests, which can evaluate the possibility that the binge eating has already affected your health, include testing for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart problems, high cholesterol, gastroesophageal disorder, and sleep apnea disorder. The doctor may perform a complete physical examination, run blood or urine tests, and perhaps refer you to a center for sleep disorders for a consultation. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, the following things must be in place in order to make the diagnosis of Binge Eating Disorder:
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