Apr 2, 2008 8:46 pm US/Mountain
'Hidden Fat' In Thin People Can Pose Problems
DENVER (CBS4) ―
Doctors call it "normal weight obesity"-- hidden body fat that can put a person at risk for heart disease and diabetes.
"It's not so much how much you weigh, but the percentage of fat that makes up your weight," CBS4 Medical Editor Dr. Dave Hnida said. "If it's too high, that's unhealthy."
More than half of all Americans who fall within the normal weight range are actually carrying too much body fat, according to the Mayo Clinic. They look fine on the outside, but have too much fat on the inside. That adds up to a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Most doctors rely on something called a "body mass index" to determine if someone is carrying too many pounds. It turns out that technique may not be the most accurate way of learning if someone is carrying too much fat, which is more important than weight. It also means simply stepping on the scale isn't going to tell if someone is carrying too much fat.
Researchers at the Mayo Clinic say this fat tends to collect deep inside around the intestines. This particular type of fat releases hormones that raise blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and other chemicals harmful to the heart. Mayo estimates 60 percent of people who are of normal weight carry hidden fat, yet look perfectly normal in appearance.
The most accurate way to measure hidden fat is testing in a pool. Doctors put the person underwater and measure them. Then there's a machine called a "bod pod," used by many sports teams to measure their players.
Hidden fat is more of a problem with age because of lost muscle mass.
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