Extra fat in the body, and lots of extra fat in particular, is unhealthy. Weigh more and you are adding all sorts of health risks, but are all fats in the body equally bad?

 

In a 2011 Mayo Clinic study (1), researchers once again determined that not all body fats are created equal. The fat found around the middle, in the so-called apple-shaped body as opposed to the pear-shaped body, causes greater harm. The study even found that individuals who are not overweight but carry weight around the middle, are at higher risk.

 

People with higher levels of "central obesity" had a 30.8% increased risk of death during the period of the studies. The data was more compelling among women, with a 43.2% increase, while men had only a 19.4% increase. The study also looked at participants who were of normal weight but carried more weight around their middle. In these individuals, the study reported that the risk of mortality was 33.1% higher (61.5% for women and 19.9% in men) than for those without extra weight around the middle.

 

What causes weight to develop around the middle? It is certainly not all about genetics. Diets rich in simple carbohydrates have been associated with the development of central obesity. With this insight, many people have concluded that a low-carbohydrate diet is a solution.  And some even have looked to low carbohydrate diets high in the foods containing the saturated fats and dietary cholesterol shown to add cardiovascular risk. 

 

But wait! Is it all carbohydrates? Much of the data indicates that diets high in complex carbohydrates and fiber are the healthiest. 

Confused? If you want to understand why low carboydrate diets are not the heart healthiest ---and which styles of eating are the most healthy, read The Kardea Gourmet:  Smart & Delicious Eating for a Healthy Heart.