Invisible obesity

A seemingly slim person may be dangerously internally obese. Dangerous excess fat accumulated around internal organs can be seen thanks to modern magnetic resonance imaging equipment. Hidden fat is the subject of research by scientists from Hammersmith Hospital in West London. They claim that about 40% of the people they examined have dangerously thick layers of fat around the heart, liver, or pancreas. British doctors emphasize that individuals with dangerously obese internal organs do not necessarily have to be overweight; they can be slim.

"In general, fat is not bad," explains Professor Jimmy Bell from Hammersmith Hospital. "It's bad to have too much of it in the wrong places. These places are primarily around internal organs. Our research has shown that a slim, healthy-looking person may have several liters of fat hidden deep in the body." Professor Bell claims that the best way to get rid of dangerous internal fat is through exercise. Diet can also slim down a person, but mainly on the outside; internal fat will not disappear solely through dieting.

The above view on the superiority of physical exercise over dieting is confirmed by recent studies conducted in the British Isles. Researchers from the University of Leeds observed several dozen obese women participating in a special exercise program: they exercised for four hours a week. Although they lost relatively little weight over the year (only about two kilograms, while weighing on average around 100 kilograms), their health significantly improved. A decrease in blood pressure and cholesterol was noted, respiratory capacity increased. Moreover, their well-being improved significantly. They stopped considering themselves completely unattractive; their mood improved significantly, and they became less nervous.

If these women had opted for a strict diet instead of exercise, they might have lost more weight, but the health effects of such an approach would have been much worse. "Exercise instead of dieting," advises Dr. Erika Borkoles from the University of Leeds to obese people. "Eat what you want, just in moderation."

Obesity is not only a British and American problem but affects the entire industrialized, wealthy world, including Poland. The latest research coordinated by the Institute of Cardiology in Warsaw has shown that more and more Poles have problems with excessive body weight. About 20% of adult Poles are obese - the same proportion of women as men. In total, as the studies have shown, only slightly over 40% of our compatriots weigh what they should; the rest are mostly overweight or obese.

Even more worrying is the fact that more and more victims of overweight and obesity are among children. Studies conducted in Łódź have shown that 16% of school-age children, both boys and girls, have problems with excessive weight. The comparison of these figures with the results of earlier studies is dramatically alarming. Over the past ten years, the percentage of overweight and obese students has almost doubled.

It is easy to understand why children are getting heavier: the first reason is a lack of physical activity. Once upon a time, whether in the countryside or in the city, children played primarily in the yard, running around, moving. Today, children's favorite pastimes are television and computer games. In addition to this, young people today eat a lot and unhealthily.

Experts emphasize that both in terms of physical activity and nutrition, childhood is the best time to develop appropriate habits. And from obese children, obese adults are likely to grow up.