Syndrome X
If you have metabolic syndrome, you are probably carrying extra weight around your mid-section. That's because one of the hallmark signs of metabolic syndrome -- insulin resistance -- causes fat to be stored in dangerous areas, such as deep in the abdomen or around the liver, muscle, heart tissues and beta cells of the pancreas. This type of fat increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Thankfully, there are things you can do to reverse your risk.
Two Types of Fat, One More Dangerous Than the Other
Adipose (fat) tissue is a specialized energy storage system. Fatty acids, lipids and glucose are converted to fat and stored in this tissue and then released to fuel energy needs. Adipose tissue is not just a lifeless inert mass, but is an endocrine organ. This means it actively secretes hormones.
There are two basic types of fat tissue storage
Subcutaneous fat is the soft type of fat that you find under the skin all over the body. This type of fat is not associated with heart disease.
The second type of fat is called visceral fat. It is more dense and stored deep in the abdomen and around your organs. The abdominal/visceral fat and the subcutaneous fat compartments are metabolically distinct from each other. The most important difference: The quantity of visceral fat is strongly associated with a risk of cardiovascular disease.
How Do These Two Types of Fat Develop?
The hormones insulin and leptin are called adiposity (fat) signals. Elevated levels of insulin and leptin act on the brain to reduce appetite. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas in response to a meal. It acts as the body’s glucose (sugar) and energy regulator.
When a person is insulin resistant, the cell receptors on the tissues are not sufficiently sensitive to insulin, so the insulin isn’t able to allow glucose into the cells to be used for energy. If insulin cannot get the glucose into the cells, it puts the glucose into fat storage.
Leptin is secreted by adipose (fat) tissue. Like insulin, leptin is secreted in response to a meal. Leptin signals the hypothalamus in your brain to tell it that there is enough energy stored. The response should be a decrease in appetite.
When this system is working, an energy balance of fat storage and fat burning occurs without obesity. It is thought that large amounts of insulin in insulin resistance may override the leptin signal, causing the person to remain hungry and continue eating.
Insulin resistance is responsible for the increase of the dangerous abdominal and visceral fat storage. Leptin and insulin are responsible for subcutaneous fat storage. Fat storage mechanisms are as yet not completely understood.
Causes of Dangerous Fat Storage
With insulin resistance, metabolism is impaired. Instead of fat being stored in subcutaneous tissues, excess energy is stored as fat in dangerous areas such as deep in the abdomen or around the liver, muscle, heart tissues and beta cells of the pancreas.
The metabolic effects that lead to abdominal obesity are a result of a sedentary lifestyle with a poor diet consisting of consumption of highly processed, energy-dense foods that offer little in the way of nutrition.
Muscle tissue needs to be used. If it isn’t used enough through vigorous work or exercise, muscle cells become resistant to insulin. If muscle isn’t used, it is broken down. With less muscle the body’s metabolism is less efficient.
As dangerous fat stores increase, insulin resistance worsens.
Studies show that abdominal and visceral fat accumulates very quickly when a person lives a sedentary lifestyle. The good news is that when an aggressive exercise program is initiated, the first type of fat to go is this dangerous type of fat. Exercise training reduces the dangerous hormonal responses that are associated with an accumulation of visceral fat deposits.
In addition, the sensitivity of the tissue cells to the insulin and other hormones increases so that the breakdown of fat can start. The bottom line: After staring an exercise program, you may notice that your waist and abdomen are reduced before any other areas.
Other Factors that Contribute to Abdominal and Visceral Fat Storage
- When someone is under chronic stress the hormone cortisol is secreted. Cortisol contributes to dangerous abdominal fat storage.
- Cortisol is also secreted when a person smokes.
- Some people are genetically susceptible to insulin resistance and to abdominal and visceral fat storage.
In examining different cultures, it has been found that blacks are more prone to subcutaneous fat accumulation than are whites. Asians are prone to visceral fat accumulation even though they may appear to be quite lean. While Type 2 diabetes is associated with obesity in the West, Asians develop Type 2 diabetes with lower body mass index (BMI) levels.
Metabolic Syndrome is a Cluster of at Least Three of the Following:
Abdominal Fat: Waist measurement of more than 40 inches for men, or 35 inches for women
High Blood Sugar: 110 mg/dL or greater after fasting
High Triglycerides: 150 mg/dL or more in the bloodstream
Low HDL:<40 mg/dL in men, <50 mg/dL in women
