More than 42% of adult Americans are obese according to a 2018 study from the CDC. This statistic means too many of us are at risk of carrying excess visceral fat without knowing the consequences.
What is visceral fat? Unlike subcutaneous fat found below our skin, visceral fat is the fat below our abs and around our vital organs.
Why should we care? It is one of the worst places to store fat. Visceral fat releases proteins and hormones that trigger inflammation in our bodies. damages arteries, invades our organs, and creates serious health complications. Type 2 diabetes is one common consequence of excess visceral fat.
Obesity is often caused by excess sugar, or glucose, in our bloodstream for too long. When this happens, our pancreas can't excrete insulin fast enough to convert excess glucose into energy. As a result, we become what's called insulin resistant. Without insulin converting our excess glucose into energy, we develop type 2 diabetes. Recent estimates put worldwide prevalence of type 2 diabetes at 415 million.
But don't worry. Type 2 diabetes and its precursor, prediabetes, are preventable and reversible. Here are some tips on what to do about obesity and help prevent a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
Exercise to counteract the effects of obesity
Daily exercise to lose weight not only combats obesity, it also reduces your risk of diabetes. When you exercise, your body uses up excess glucose in your bloodstream for energy. Walk, swim, jog, bike, or do other exercises specific to strength training. No matter what you choose, make sure your intensity is enough to get your heart rate up. Doing so helps burn excess energy. Try a VO2max test to discover your optimal heart rate training zones. And track your visceral fat level with a DXA scan to make sure you keep it as low as possible. Treating obesity means you’re treating type 2 diabetes too.
A DEXA scan can show you exactly where you’re storing fat along with your lean mass and skeletal health. Your visceral fat is the most important marker to track on your DEXA scan.
Prevent type 2 diabetes with a healthy diet
If you're obese, your blood sugar levels are likely too high. Your diet is another essential factor to reverse or prevent type 2 diabetes. Try eliminating processed foods and foods that are high in sugar and carbohydrates. These are more likely to spike your blood sugar and glucose levels. Pay attention to when you eat too. Research is finding that when we eat may be more important than what we eat. Eating too late at night can lead to circadian rhythm disruption, which is "a misalignment between your endogenous circadian system and behavioral circadian cycles (for example, sleep-wake and fasting-feeding)." It is an emerging environmental risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Mind your light environment
Your light environment includes both your exposure to natural sunlight and artificial light. Paying attention to it is another important way to avoid circadian rhythm disruption.
Artificial lighting, especially blue light at night, is now recognized as a risk factor for type 2 diabetes because it increases insulin resistance. Blue light also shuts down melatonin signaling and is a trigger for your sympathetic nervous system. This isn't bad by itself, but when it happens at night, it leads to excess cortisol production and poor sleep. Both of these factors increase your risk for weight gain and type 2 diabetes, among many other issues.
A lack of natural sunlight leads to vitamin D deficiency. Research continues to find a strong association between low vitamin D levels in people with insulin resistance. It is also believed that vitamin D improves insulin sensitivity by activating receptors that help regulate the metabolism of fatty acids within your muscles and body fat. Try setting your body's circadian rhythm by exposing as much of your skin and eyes to AM sunlight. Get at least 20 minutes of sun in the early afternoon too if you want to boost your D levels.
Track your progress with DexaFit
After making these changes to your lifestyle, how do you know if they’re working? If you're not afraid of needles, tracking your blood sugar levels throughout the day is a great start. But if you prefer to avoid the prick of a finger, you can measure your body composition and visceral fat with a DEXA scan. The six to eight minute scan is easy to do and details your skeletal health, lean mass, body fat, and visceral fat.
Staying aware of your body composition and health with accurate testing will help prevent your risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Remember, when you’re obese, you have an increased risk of high levels of visceral fat and type 2 diabetes. Both are preventable and reversible if you take the right precautions now. Lose weight, exercise, change your diet, mind your light environment, track your progress with DexaFit to maintain a healthy lifestyle.