Daily HealthBeat Tip - May 03, 2007

Gut fat

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat.

It’s not just fat you have to worry about – it’s where you have the fat. Excess fat around your organs, known as intra-abdominal fat, is worse than fat that hangs over your belt.

Sam Klein of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has an idea what makes intra-abdominal fat worse. He looked at very obese people, and checked blood from a vein that goes through intra-abdominal fat.

The blood had higher levels of a protein associated with inflammation, which carries higher risks of conditions like diabetes and heart disease.

But Klein says people can reduce their risks.

``It’s decreasing calorie intake, and exercise – because exercise alone, even without losing weight, can cause a reduction in intra-abdominal fat.’’ (9 seconds)

The study in the journal Diabetes was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at hhs.gov.

Last revised: May, 03 2007