If your tummy is larger than your waist line, you have a higher chance of reducing the size of your brain and developing a heart disease. Rita Ohai writes.
ALTHOUGH it is common knowledge that Nigerians are generally susceptible to a pot belly due to their high-carbohydrate and fatty diet, very few know the potential risks they expose themselves to when they relish heavy meals like pounded yam and egusi at odd intervals.
Due to the festive lifestyle of the average Nigerian, most people with large stomachs run the risk of having significantly smaller brains by the time they reach their 50s than their flat-belly counterparts.
Dr. Florence Ibeh, a resident doctor explains, “Having a ‘pot belly’ in middle age raises the risk of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia (forgetfulness or memory loss) because abdominal fat is more ‘metabolically active’ and is recognized as the most dangerous, hidden type of fat which can block the blood vessel going to the brain and limit oxygen supply.”
Ibeh believes the dangerous effects of abdominal obesity on the brain may start long before the signs of dementia appear.
In line with applying caution when matters of the waist are concerned, researchers state that even if your belt buckled somewhere between flat and semi-fat, you were not home-free.
They found that adding a few inches to the waist increased the risk of damage in the arteries, even if body weight remained within the normal range.
Nutritionist and health consultant, Boye Ajibade enlightens, “People who are overweight or obese have an increased risk of developing heart disease. The risks are even higher when fat is mainly concentrated around the abdomen.
“What’s important is that people consider their body shape as well as their weight. Controlling both by eating less and being more active is an effective way to reduce your risk of heart and circulatory disease.”
Tamasic and rajastic India ! Obesity ! / मोटापा / ಸ್ಥೂಲಕಾಯತೆ (Photo credit: artist in doing nothing)
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