Dangerous fat pads are hard to spot 

Obesity and being overweight is said to be unhealthy and dangerous. "Less eating more working out" is something overweight people hear over and over again.

Obese people might get evil looks when they eat a treat in public and are considered the next candidate for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Recent studies show that this thesis is not true. Being overweight does not necessarily lead to hypertension, diabetes and an early death.

Overweight but healthy?

1. There are two types of excess weight

Every fourth overweight person neither has bad glucose, cholesterol nor blood fat values so the German spiegel.com reported recently.

Is there a difference between a healthy and an unhealthy overweight?

2. The BMI is an inadequate measure

The mortality risk of people with a BMI of 25-30 and even 30-35 (obese) is smaller than the risk of normal-weight people with a BMI of 18.5 - 25.

This is the result of 97 long-term studies by the American National Institute of Health with 2.88 million male and female participants.

Read more about BMI and calorie trackers HERE

Increased muscle mass and decreased fat pads does not necessarily reduce your weight.  But it is probably healthier.

Important factors the BMI does not take into account include: glucose levels and how and where the fat is stored. 

3. Hidden fat pads are the most dangerous ones

Studies showed that around 25 % of people with a BMI of 30-40 have a healthy metabolism while 20 % of the normal-weight participants of the studies showed metabolic disorders.

The crucial factor is where the body stores the fat. If it is stored in the subcutaneous tissue it does not have an effect on the metabolism.

If too much fat is being stored in the belly, it gets problematic. This "visceral fat" wraps inner organs.

While visceral fat is visible via ultrasound you cannot see it from the outside.

4. Thin people can be fat

A thin person might have fat wrapped around their inner organs.

Even more important for the distinction between healthy and unhealthy are fat deposits in the liver or other organs like heart and pancreas. These organs store the fat only for a short while until they release parts of it into the blood.  Vascular deposits lead to arteriosclerosis.

Increased levels of excess fat stored in the liver influence the insulin metabolism. Insulin resistance is the main cause of diabetes type 2. 

5. Hormones are responsible 

Researchers are of the opinion that hormones are responsible for deciding how and where the body stores fat.

Adiponectin plays a crucial role in fat burning. It has anti-inflammatory features and increases the amount of adipocytes (fat storages cells) in the subcutaneous tissue.

Read more about how hormones influence your weight HERE

Conclusion

• The dangerous fat pads that endanger our health are not visible from the outside. Being thin is no guarantee for being healthy. 
• The BMI is not an appropriate measure or indicator of healthy weight. 
• Hormones play a big role in a) our cravings and when we fill full and b) where the body stores fat. Therefore, the right place to start a diet is the brain as it controls which hormones get released when. 
• Sport is good for you but overrated when it comes to weight loss. 
• Traditional weight loss diets, powders, pills, and systems will not work for most people in the long run. They do not attack the source of the problem. 
• A few extra pounds are not a health hazard per se. 
• What we eat influences the brain (hormone production) and weight. 

Solution

• A healthy diet is the best way to achieve a healthy weight - inside and out. 
• If the hormone production is already in disorder a neuroscientific approach (brain retraining) will help. 
• Personal Coaching with a capable Holistic Nutritionist with neuroscientific knowledge will get you on track with your weight and health goals in no time. 
• Food education from trustworthy sources will help you understand which foods and additives are helpful for achieving your goal and maintaining a healthy body.