Abdominal obesity in men and women: causes and treatment

Abdominal obesity - main symptoms:

1. Dyspnea
2. Menstrual irregularities
3. Fast fatiguability
4. High blood pressure
5. Depression
6. Heartburn
7. Infertility
8. Decreased performance
9. Increase in abdominal volume
10. Phlebeurysm
11. Indigestion
12. Accumulation of fat in the abdominal area
13. Decreased sexual activity
14. Tendency to colds

Causes of abdominal obesity in women and men

Approximately 65 percent of obesity in men is due to dietary excess. In women, this amount is slightly less, since they more often gain excess weight due to disruption of the functioning of the endocrine system. Abdominal obesity is less common in men than in women. The fact is that the accumulation of excess fatty tissue in the abdominal area is promoted by female sex hormones, in particular estrogen.

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Other common causes of abdominal obesity in women and men besides poor diet:

• hormonal imbalance;
• pancreatitis;
• diabetes;
• sedentary, sedentary lifestyle;
• taking antipsychotics and hormonal drugs;
• hereditary predisposition.

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Regardless of what exactly is the cause of obesity, with proper treatment and the patient’s own efforts, it is possible to achieve a slim figure.

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Complications

In people with central obesity, the likelihood of type 2 diabetes mellitus increases, which occurs as a result of impaired glucose tolerance, the appearance of stable hyperinsulinemia, and arterial hypertension. Most complications are associated with metabolic syndrome, which is characterized by hyperglycemia, abnormal carbohydrate metabolism, and dyslipidemia. Against the background of metabolic disorders, atherosclerotic plaques form on the walls of blood vessels.

In women, abdominal obesity provokes hormonal dysfunction, in particular, it leads to increased activity of the adrenal glands that produce androgens. This is manifested by hair growth on the face, chest and back (male type). In the later stages of obesity, infertility is diagnosed, in men - deterioration of potency, impaired reproductive function.

What are the degrees of obesity?

There are three of them:

• First: excess body weight ranges from five to fifteen kilograms. This condition does not cause any health problems, but from an aesthetic point of view, such completeness is unsightly for many.
• Second: excess from fifteen to forty kilograms. At this stage, excess fat is no longer located only in the abdomen, but also on the arms, legs, neck, and grows on the internal organs. At the same time, many concomitant chronic diseases develop.
• The third degree of obesity is assigned to the patient if he has forty or more extra pounds. This is a very serious pathology in which healthy life is simply impossible.

Getting your diet in order

There are different degrees of obesity. However, the treatment of each case invariably begins with diet therapy, and table number 8 is assigned.

Therefore, let's look at what basic nutritional recommendations nutritionists give their patients:

• Duration. As many young ladies do: fast for a week, sit on the water. The weight seemed to have dropped a bit. And that’s it, you can go on a rampage again. It is impossible to get rid of obesity in this way, but the body is obliged to gain another ten kg after hunger stress. It takes quite a long time to adjust your metabolism to burn fat and stop accumulating it.
• Complexity. The diet will be much more effective if it is combined with aerobic physical activity (running, walking, swimming, skating and roller skating, dancing, climbing stairs, etc.), visiting a bathhouse, a massage therapist, and getting enough sleep. Sometimes medications are prescribed or even surgery is recommended.
• Mode. As usual, portions should be smaller, meals more often, up to 6 times a day. In this case, the last meal is 3 hours before bedtime, no later. We get up from the table in an aristocratic manner - a little hungry.
• Calorie content should be no more than 2000 kcal per day, while no more than 1/5 of all calories goes to dinner, and most of it is consumed in the first half of the day.
• Cellulose. It is fiber that cleanses the intestines, helps it work fully and prevents excess fat from being absorbed.
• Liquid – 2l standard. However, if you have edema, you should limit it to 1.5 liters. This does not include soup, compotes, tea.
• Therapeutic nutrition involves limiting spices that stimulate the appetite, including salt.
• Refusal of easily digestible carbohydrates (sugars) and limitation of fats.

How to distinguish this type of obesity from others

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Abdominal obesity in women is characterized by the accumulation of fat deposits mainly in the waist, hips, and buttocks (the so-called bear ears). Aesthetically, this is unsightly, but the main problem lies in possible health problems when fat begins to grow on the surface of the internal organs. Therefore, this is the most dangerous type of excess weight.

Abdominal obesity in men is characterized primarily by abdominal growth. The sides and hips can remain the same size. Outwardly it looks completely ugly. Abdominal obesity in men is popularly called a “beer belly.” In addition to excess weight, fatigue, shortness of breath, decreased sexual desire and even infertility are observed.

Causes of the disease

If you are overweight, a layer of adipose tissue is deposited on the surface of the internal organs and is called visceral. Visceral fat tightly envelops the internal organs, compresses, and impedes normal functioning. Adipose tissue is penetrated by blood vessels through which the hormone produced by the cells is carried. This hormone reacts to nervous stress and contributes to carbohydrate metabolism disorders.

The causes of the disease are:

• Binge eating;
• Physical inactivity;
• Hormonal imbalance in the body;
• Thyroid diseases;
• Pregnancy;
• Diseases of the nervous system (stress, psychosis, panic attack);
• Side effects after taking medications (hormones, tranquilizers, antidepressants);
• Hereditary predisposition.

Types of visceral obesity

• Fatty heart. Fat envelops the heart sac, and cardiac activity is impaired.
• Fatty liver (fatty hepatosis). Leads to disruption of bile formation and detoxification of harmful substances in the body.
• Fatty kidneys. A dense layer of fat disrupts urinary function and urine stagnation occurs. As a result, the formation of stones, infectious and inflammatory processes in the genitourinary system.
• Obesity of the pancreas leads to disruption of the digestive system.

There are two stages of visceral obesity: progressive and stable. With a progressive stage, a steady weight gain is observed, with a stable stage, the gained weight remains unchanged.

Anorectic drugs for obesity

These are strictly prescription drugs. A prescription for their purchase can be obtained from an endocrinologist. Recommended for use by people with a BMI over 35 units.

The treatment of abdominal obesity with anorectics is that the patient loses appetite after taking the pill. In addition, sibutramine (the main active component of such drugs) is able to put the body into a state of thermogenesis, and the body itself will burn its own fat depots.

The most popular and effective anorectics for abdominal obesity:

• "Reduxin" at one time had the effect of a bomb exploding among obese people. Within a few months, patients lost half their weight on it. The effect of this drug is truly wonderful. But it has a lot of side effects, so the Ministry of Health rightly decided that Reduxin should be included in the list of potent substances and prohibited from free sale.
• "Meridia" is an anorectic drug that is produced in Germany. It is very rarely available in Russian pharmacies. However, our enterprising fellow citizens were not at a loss and are transporting annual supplies of this drug across the border from Germany in order to lose weight.

Side effects of anorectic drugs

Both Reduxin and Meridia are very effective for abdominal obesity. Anyone who has ever observed the effect of these drugs in real life will confirm: belly fat disappears very quickly, a person literally “deflates” in three to four months, like a punctured ball.

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But everything has its price. Women and men who are ready to treat abdominal obesity should remember the side effects of anorectics:

• insomnia develops in 55 percent of patients who started taking anorectics already in the first week of use and does not go away until they completely stop taking the pills;
• due to complete loss of appetite, a deficiency of vitamins and minerals develops, as a result of which the functioning of internal organs is disrupted, hair falls out, skin deteriorates, and nails peel off;
• the patient feels weakness and apathy during administration, which is abruptly replaced by short-term euphoria (in psychiatry, this condition is called bipolar neurosis);
• side effects of a psychiatric nature begin to bother the patient from the second day of admission, these are anxiety, hypochondria, suspiciousness, causeless excitement;
• all tablets containing sibutramine have a toxic effect on the cardiovascular system and are strictly prohibited for use by people with heart disease.

Diagnostics

Patients are examined by an endocrinologist. In the process of differential diagnosis and identification of concomitant diseases, other specialists take part - a cardiologist, a neurologist, a functional diagnostics doctor, and laboratory assistants. The set of procedures includes:

• Anamnesis collection. The specialist determines the presence of obesity, type II diabetes, and insulin resistance syndrome among immediate family members. Asks about the patient’s dietary habits and physical activity. Since patients tend to underestimate the calorie content of their diet and overestimate the volume of exercise, diary entries are prescribed for a week with their subsequent analysis.
• Inspection. The specialist visually and using a caliper assesses the presence of excess fat and the nature of its distribution (in the upper torso, waist area). Patients often have increased activity of the sweat and sebaceous glands, which is manifested by skin shine, greasiness, pustular rashes, furunculosis, and pyoderma.
• Volume measurement, weighing. Weight, height, hip circumference and waist are measured. With abdominal obesity in girls and women, WC exceeds 80-84 cm, the WC/TB ratio is more than 0.85; in boys and men, OT is over 94-98 cm, the OT/OB indicator is more than 1.0. Based on the patient's height and weight, the body mass index is calculated. Nutritional obesity is characterized by a BMI of more than 30, and endocrine obesity is characterized by a BMI of more than 40.
• Laboratory tests. To diagnose complications of obesity and identify the causes of the disease, a lipid profile study is prescribed. Characterized by increased plasma levels of triglycerides (≥ 150 mg/dL) and glucose levels (> 5.6 mmol/L), decreased concentrations of high-density lipoproteins (< 40 mg/dL), increased cholesterol (< 5.2 mmol/L) . Additionally, a study of hormonal status is carried out - secondary hyperaldosteronism, increased estradiol concentrations, and abnormal LH/FSH values ​​are typical.
• Instrumental research. Assessment of the amount and location of the fat layer is performed using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the abdominal region, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. The area and volume of adipose tissue are calculated. The area of ​​visceral fat is most often located at the level of the 3rd and 4th or 4th and 5th lumbar vertebrae.

CT OBP. Excessive amount of subcutaneous abdominal fat (red arrow), visceral fat (blue arrow), fatty hepatosis (green arrow).

Antidepressants for obesity: benefit or harm?

In recent years, it has become fashionable among women to combat abdominal obesity with drugs from the SSRI group (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors). Despite the fact that this class of drugs is intended for the treatment of psychiatric diseases, tens of thousands of people have managed to achieve a flat stomach.

Abdominal obesity in women spoils their appearance, which leads to the development of depression. SSRI drugs suppress appetite, improve mood and help increase the patient’s social activity. In their action, they are very similar to drugs based on sibutramine, which were described just above. And antidepressants have even more side effects. Very often they cause drug addiction.

Under no circumstances should you take antidepressants on your own to lose belly fat and get rid of obesity. These are very serious drugs, the use of which can “react” for the rest of your life.

Obesity is the scourge of modern man

The first and main sign of the disease is a voluminous, protruding abdomen. If you look around carefully and impartially, you can quickly note: abdominal obesity in the modern world is in the nature of an epidemic, and many men, and even women, have this type of excess weight.

And the saddest thing is that almost everyone understands what the problem is and how it can be solved, but does nothing about it, although even the simplest diet can be an excellent solution.

Important information: 25% of the world's population is overweight and almost every second resident of a metropolis suffers not from slight obesity, but from real obesity.

Excess weight not only spoils a person’s appearance, but also affects the following organs and systems:

1. Heart - due to the additional load, at least angina pectoris and other pathologies develop.
2. Vessels - circulatory disorders lead to insufficient tissue nutrition, blood stagnation, the formation of blood clots and deformation of the vascular walls, which provokes atherosclerosis and migraines.
3. Pancreas – due to excessive load, it cannot cope with its functions, increasing the risk of developing diabetes.
4. Respiratory organs - obese people are several times more likely to suffer from asthma.

And this is not a complete list of diseases that obesity can—and, as a rule, leads to, if measures are not taken in time.

Therefore, it is necessary to fight it, and the sooner this fight begins, the easier and faster the desired result will be achieved.

Fat and carbohydrate blockers for abdominal obesity

Endocrinologists are very fond of prescribing these pills. What is the principle of their action in abdominal obesity?

Fat blockers (Orsoten and Xenical) block the body's absorption of fats. They are passed undigested along with feces. Due to this process, the total calorie content of the patient’s daily diet is reduced by a third, and fat deposits melt before our eyes.

Carbohydrate blockers have a similar effect, only they prevent the absorption of carbohydrates rather than fats from food. These tablets will help lovers of sweets, pastries, cakes, and cookies. Carbohydrate blockers should also be taken by patients with diabetes.

Symptoms of abdominal obesity

The key sign of the disease is excessive accumulation of fat deposits in the abdomen and upper half of the torso. The patient's silhouette becomes rounded, hence the common name for this type of obesity - apple. The waist circumference of men exceeds 94 cm, of women - 80 cm. At the same time, BMI can remain within the normal range, because in other parts of the body the fat layer is normal or hypotrophied, and muscle tissue is underdeveloped.

The diet consists of high-calorie foods. Eating behavior is characterized by frequent snacks, large dinners, eating at night, abuse of sweets, smoked and fried foods, and low-alcohol drinks. Often, patients do not notice or incorrectly assess the high calorie content of food: they do not take into account occasional snacks, the addition of fatty sauces, or the method of cooking (deep-frying, regular frying).

Another characteristic feature of patients is an overestimation of their daily activities. Many people have low tolerance to physical activity - insufficient training of the body, inability to perform exercises to develop endurance and muscle strength. This contributes to the formation of an energy-saving activity mode. People with obesity give up walking in favor of using public transport, do not participate in team games or remain sedentary in them, and avoid household work that requires physical effort (mopping floors, cleaning).

Patients often experience disturbances in other body systems. Obesity is accompanied by arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus and its complications, obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, cholelithiasis, constipation, polycystic ovary syndrome, urolithiasis, osteoarthritis. Nervous system disorders are manifested by apathy, drowsiness, and fatigue. Patients complain of depression, increased anxiety, communication problems, feelings of insecurity and an inferiority complex associated with excess weight.

Exercise for obesity

People with abdominal obesity often lead a sedentary lifestyle. This is partly the reason for their diagnosis.

If your excess weight is more than 40 kg, you are prohibited from immediately starting active exercises. You should start with simple daily exercises: bending over, swinging legs and arms, exercises lying on the floor (twisting, push-ups, scissors). In parallel with classes, you should try to reduce the total calorie content of your daily diet.

Patients with excess weight less than twenty kilograms will be welcomed into the arms of any gym. They offer training on an elliptical, treadmill, swimming in the pool, training with dumbbells and barbells. To get rid of excess weight in the abdominal area (10-15 kg) it will take about six months of constant training three to four times a week. A prerequisite is that classes must be intensive.

Liposuction is a radical method of getting rid of adipose tissue

This is a radical method of treating obesity. In a hospital setting, using a special needle, the doctor pumps out fat from the patient’s abdomen and sides. In particularly difficult cases, ten or more kilograms of fat are pumped out.

Of course, real surgical liposuction is very painful and is performed under anesthesia. All kinds of replacements (laser liposuction, etc.) that are performed without anesthesia are simply a marketing ploy and, most likely, will not give any results.

Tips on proper nutrition: how to build a diet so that your belly does not grow?

Foods that need to be excluded from the diet once and for all for those who want to have a flat stomach:

• products made from wheat flour (only food made from whole grains is allowed);
• grapes and bananas;
• dairy products with fat content above 5%;
• potatoes, beets;
• fast food;
• carbonated drinks;
• packaged sweet juices (you can only drink freshly squeezed homemade ones);
• alcoholic drinks.

Many athletes easily allow themselves a piece of pizza at lunch. But you shouldn't look up to them. If the patient already has a history of abdominal obesity, then the tendency towards it will remain for life. And the patient will have to monitor his diet in any case.

Is it possible to conduct courses of therapeutic fasting for obesity?

Nowadays, many followers of therapeutic fasting (Bragg's method) advise overweight people to fast for a week or a month. Supposedly this is the best treatment for abdominal obesity in women. You should not fall for provocations.

For people with abdominal obesity, fasting is a surefire reason to “finish off” their already poor health. Laboratory studies have proven that only a completely healthy person can tolerate a complete lack of food and water without consequences. Endocrinologists and nutritionists (like all people with higher medical education) will never advise anyone on such dubious systems for healing the body as therapeutic fasting.

Vegetarianism, veganism and raw food diet for obesity in the abdominal area

There is an opinion that specific nutritional systems completely cure many diseases and in a short time allow you to completely get rid of abdominal obesity. These are the power systems:

• vegetarianism means giving up meat, fish, and caviar;
• veganism implies a complete rejection of food of animal origin and eating only vegetables, fruits, nuts - products that nature gives to humans;
• A raw food diet involves eating only raw foods, without any heat treatment.

Each of these food systems has hundreds of thousands of adherents around the world. In their photos you can see fit, athletic and happy people. But you shouldn’t rush into the pool headlong: many people, as a result of the practice of radical nutrition, have developed serious health problems. These are carbohydrate metabolism disorders, diabetes, pancreatitis, and various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. You should definitely consult with an endocrinologist and get tested before switching to a vegan or raw food diet.

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