Beer belly or muffin top? Study reveals which type of fat is worse for our health

Beer belly or muffin top? Study reveals which type of fat is worse for our health Scientists at Queen Mary University tracked 34,000 Brits for five years looking at where fat was stored on the body and how this affected heart health and aging Belly bloat could be a better measure of health than BMI, new research shows. A study of 34,000 Brits has analysed the impact of where fat is stored on heart health and aging. It found levels of visceral fat around the abdomen - which appears as permanent bloating often referred to as a “beer belly” - were more important to monitor than BMI (body mass index), particularly in men. The study using UK Biobank data tracking 56 measures of heart structure and function over five years compared distribution of visceral fat with fat under the skin known as subcutaneous fat, and fat surrounding the heart. Visceral fat is packed deep inside the abdomen around the organs, often pushing the abdomen out, making the belly feel firm or hard. In contrast, Subcutaneous fat can be pinched in places such as on the belly, arms, legs, and hips. Build-up of this type of fat around the hips can be referred to as a “muffin top” or “spare tyre”. Researchers at Queen Mary University of London found people with the same BMI could have drastically different distributions of body fat and heart health risk. Author Dr Zahra Raisi-Estabragh, lecturer in Cardiovascular Data Science at the university, said: “Our findings show that not all body fat carries the same risk. Where fat is stored appears to be particularly important for heart health, with fat around the abdominal organs showing the strongest link to accelerated biological ageing of the heart and future cardiovascular disease. “BMI remains a useful and practical measure, but it cannot tell us how fat is distributed throughout the body. Our findings suggest that looking beyond BMI could help us better understand why some people develop cardiovascular disease while others with a similar body weight do not.” BMI measures our weight in relation to height but does not look at where on the body fat is accumulating. The NHS measures and record the BMI of tens of millions of Brits every year to flag whether they need help to lose weight. BMI divides a person's weight by the square of their height and currently shows around two thirds of adults in Britain are overweight or obese. But some people with bigger frames may be very active and have no ill-effects of their weight but are still classified as obese while others may be suffering significant harm such as problems with their internal organs. Previous research has suggested around one in ten “lean” people may be “metabolically obese”. Visceral fat is body fat that is stored deep inside the abdomen, wrapping around internal organs like the liver, pancreas and intestines. A build up of this fat releases hormones and inflammatory chemicals into the body. Fat build-up around the belly can be contributed to by poor diet with excess sugar, lack of exercise, high stress and heavy alcohol drinking. The new study analysed the three types of body fat in MRI scans and then followed participants for five years. Visceral fat was most strongly linked with heart aging and cardiovascular disease. Fat surrounding the heart - called epicardial adipose tissue - was also linked to poorer cardiovascular health but this relationship was largely explained by the amount of visceral fat elsewhere in the body. Dr Cynthia Maldonado-Garcia, lead author of the study, said: "This research shows that where your body stores fat matters just as much as how much fat you have overall. BMI is useful, but it can't tell us where the fat actually sits. “By using MRI scans to see fat location, we can start to explain why some people face higher heart disease risk than others, even when they have the same BMI. In the future, this could help doctors spot high-risk patients more accurately and design prevention plans tailored to the individual."