Back in the days, potbelly was a function of wealth, a sign that signifies a person is well-to-do and it’s also a sign of an important person in the society and that is why Yoruba people would say, “eni to ba yokun ni ki e gbe owo fun” (meaning give money to those with potbelly). Nowadays, potbelly obesity also called abdominal obesity has become a life-threatening feature to the spotters.
The question you may likely ask is: Is abdominal obesity also a risk to life? Well, abdominal obesity is dangerous to a person’s overall health. People call it potbelly, beer belly or beer gut. When a person’s abdomen excessively protrudes, it’s an indication that the person has got abdominal obesity. Many things cause potbelly, including unhealthy lifestyles, dysfunctional metabolism, unhealthy food, etc. Its development isn’t healthy at all because it affects a person’s health in many ways. You may not know that the main organs like the heart and brain are negatively affected by potbelly. There are many other dangers too.
Dr Tunde Salami of Lagos Teaching Hospital said that belly fat is dangerous. It is also known as visceral fat as it evolves with a high risk of various fatal diseases. Mostly, the diseases are unnoticed as organs such as the liver, pancreas, and intestines. But if the potbelly starts developing around the waist, it is pretty much noticeable. MRI can help to detect it in an early stage. According to a study carried out in 2011, it was proved that the belly fat is dangerous more than high BMI.
What are other risks involved in potbelly?
People with pot belly usually develop heart disease. Many investigators reveal the danger of potbelly like: increase of body mass index, waist and hip ratio induces a high risk to heart diseases. The study also specifies that the higher the waist and hip ratio, the higher the risk of heart diseases. It can affect the ability of the heart to properly pump blood owing to plaque building in arteries. Blood supply to essential organs to keep your body working efficiently could be reduced. Abdominal fat is considered most unhealthy for the body, and it comes with a risk of cardiac dysfunction. As the heart is the most important organ, one must take care of it at any cost. Therefore, it is necessary to get rid of a potbelly.
People who potbelly are also at higher risk of hormonal imbalance. Hormones are chemical messengers in our bodies. Right from the digestion of food to the reproduction, each process in our body is carried out with the help of, or under the influence of hormones. So, hormones are vital to healthy living. Potbelly affects the hormonal balance in a person’s body. Since potbelly fat cells are released into the bloodstream that may supply many organs of the body like the liver, pancreas, heart and other vital organs. The fats are dangerous to health as they contain excess triglycerides, which is very harmful.
Those with potbelly are also at risk of cancer because of the abnormal growth of cells, and there are over 100 types of it. Such diseases could be caused by gene mutations, smoking, radiation, viruses, cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens), obesity, hormones, chronic inflammation and a lack of exercise.
There is a risk of cancer if you have a potbelly. A higher level of belly fat offers an enzyme to the body which converts testosterone to estrogen and the level of estrogen increases in the body. It may lead to breast cancer. An excessive amount of Oestrogen acts as a growth signal for cancer cells and slowly turns other cells cancerous. All this happens when the body fat distribution does not spread evenly.
You may also likely suffer metabolic syndrome, if you have a potbelly. Metabolism is the chemical process flowing in the organ for the maintenance of life through whatever you eat. A person’s metabolism will be proper if he/she is getting adequate nutrition from diet. A noticeable potbelly is an indication that the person is suffering from a metabolic syndrome which is not at all desirable. The body starts becoming resistant to insulin signals and hence after some time, it develops metabolic syndrome. A person suffering from this syndrome goes through a set of conditions including increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. This syndrome disturbs the ability to consume and store energy. It can also lead to a few heart diseases and even diabetes.
- limits brain power
The brain is the most essential functioning part of the human’s body. As discussed already, fat cells are very harmful to the body and may cause many diseases. As protein is required to metabolize fats and is also responsible for memory and learning process, if potbelly cells get in the body, it depletes the protein level in the brain and hence causes learning and memory problems.
Erectile dysfunction is also one of the ailments many who have potbelly can suffer from. When enzyme aromatase converts a small amount of testosterone into the female sex hormone, the Oestrogen level rises. This rise in female sex hormones leads to low sexual desire and erectile dysfunction in men. According to research, potbelly also affects prostate health, which is not at all desirable.
Many celebrities who have potbelly also have a low level of confidence. No matter how much people emphasize inner beauty, the external appearance is also essential when it comes to confidence. It is not okay to have a higher BMI, no matter how much someone tells you to love yourself as you are, because’ it’s unhealthy. It is not something one should adore. Potbelly lowers the confidence of a person and affects his health too, which can lead to lagging performance-wise. It awakens the inferiority complex in the mind of a person.
Death may be inevitable as celebrities with potbelly are at high risk of death. They suffer an untimely death. One most dangerous effect of potbelly is death. Yes! You read it right. Some of the problems mentioned above are dangerous enough to kill a person. Anything that affects the brain or heart can cause trouble in a person’s life, and the trouble can be deadly too.
–ABIOLA ORISILE
