00:00Today, diet-related chronic diseases linked to overweight and obesity cause more deaths than undernutrition.
00:09Overweight and obesity have now reached epidemic levels worldwide, driven by overeating, physical inactivity, and social factors.
00:19Along with this epidemic comes a rise in numerous diseases, including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, abnormal cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
00:36As we learn more about these conditions, it is clear that processes behind these are more complicated than once thought.
00:44Fat, as it turns out, is not just a passive bystander, but an active participant that may eventually provide insights into future treatments for these conditions.
00:59Fatty tissue, or adipose tissue as scientists call it, comes in different forms.
01:04Subcutaneous fat is found under the skin, while visceral fat lies deep inside the abdominal cavity, wrapped around the organs.
01:15This difference matters, because visceral fat is especially harmful.
01:20Fat also comes in three types, white fat, brown fat, and beige fat.
01:25White fat stores excess energy and can become harmful when it builds in the belly or around organs.
01:32It releases signals that affect the rest of the body.
01:36Brown fat helps burn calories to generate heat and may help the body handle sugar and fats more efficiently,
01:44though its role in preventing disease in everyday life is still being studied.
01:51Beige fat is white fat that can act like brown fat, also helping with calorie burning.
01:57When we're taking more energy than we burn, the excess is stored in white fat under the skin.
02:05Once that storage fills up, fat starts accumulating in places it doesn't belong.
02:11Inside the belly, the liver, around the heart, in the muscles, around the kidneys, and even in the pancreas.
02:19This unhealthy fat attracts immune cells that trigger irritation and inflammation.
02:26As a result, fat tissue releases chemical signals such as leptin and resistant and other inflammatory molecules
02:34that interfere with insulin and can damage our blood vessels.
02:39The body ends up in a state of chronic low-grade inflammation.
02:43Visceral fat also releases large amounts of free fatty acids into the bloodstream,
02:50which collect in the liver and can make it less responsive to insulin.
02:56At first, this shows up as metabolic syndrome, increased waist size, abnormal cholesterol,
03:03high blood sugar, and high blood pressure.
03:06Left unchecked, it can progress to type 2 diabetes and its complications,
03:11including hardened arteries, heart attacks, and strokes.
03:16The fat that builds up in our bellies from eating too many high-calorie, high-processed foods
03:22is therefore an active driver of disease.
03:26The good news is that belly fat is often the first to shrink when we lose weight.
03:33Research shows that when we lose even a small amount of body weight through diet or exercise,
03:38we often lose a disproportionately larger share of harmful belly fat.
03:45Aerobic exercise is especially powerful as it can reduce deep abdominal fat even if the scale doesn't change much.
03:54By reducing belly fat, we can lower our risk for diabetes, fatty liver, heart disease, stroke,
04:02high blood pressure, and unhealthy cholesterol.
04:04This improves long-term health and may help us live longer, healthier lives.
04:10You can even monitor your belly fat at home using the waist-to-hip ratio.
04:16Measure your waist at the belly button, then measure your hips at the widest point,
04:21and divide waist by hip.
04:24Ratios above 0.9 in men and above 0.85 in women are linked to higher risks for heart disease.
04:33I hope you found this video useful.
04:36If you did, share it with your friends and family.
04:39You can support this channel by subscribing.
04:42Until the next video, stay healthy and stay safe.
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