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Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Four

Big Fellas Weight loss in men How many New Year’s Resolutions do you think were based on weight? How many pens do you think scrawled the words “lose weight” across big notes to be plastered to the fridge? These goals aren’t just among women, either. Weight loss is an equally heavy issue for men, with 42.2% and 28.4% of Australian men recorded as overweight and obese in 2012/13, respectively. The industry in Australia alone is worth over $500 million a year and is forecast for continued growth into 2016 and beyond. Needless to say, weight loss is a big thing. Yearly goals and dollar signs aside, the challenge of losing weight is best tackled with relevant information, advice, support and, most importantly, the right attitude and self-motivation to kick-start your healthy new life. Fellas, want to turn that fridge note into a reality? Then begin by educating yourself on the health risks that weight is imposing on your livelihood. TYPES OF FAT Visceral Fat Derived from the term “viscera,” which refers to the internal organs around the abdomen, visceral fat is located deep within the torso and encases the organs, including heart, liver and other major organs. Otherwise known as “hidden belly fat,” it is possible to be relatively slim yet maintain excess visceral fat. But this is not a case of ‘out of sight, Me n’s hea lth out of mind’; visceral fat literally sheds years off your life. Visceral fat is intrinsically linked with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases, Type 2 diabetes and for women, breast cancer. Subcutaneous Fat This is the fat you can see, the “inch you can pinch”, which lies between the skin and the abdominal wall. This type of fat is telling of your weight and the heaviness that most greatly affects people’s self-esteem and ability to participate in day-to-day activites and recreation. Some research also suggests that deeper layers of subcutaneous fat may be related to insulin resistance in men. Belly Fat Your beer belly, the cushion for the pushin’; whatever you want to call it, don’t get too familiar with it, because this fat’s got to go. Research has in fact shown that belly fat often adopts the role of a working organ in the body, as it actively releases hormones and inflammatory substances that break into fatty acids. These flow onto the liver and into muscle, spurring an pindaramagazine.com.au Pindara Magazine 31


Pindara Private Hospital Magazine - Issue Four
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