The Danger of Big Round Belly

In the past, when we saw a person with round belly, we thought that was a sign of success. It was portable evidence that a man can afford to live the good life. But today men who look like they have swallowed a big watermelon receive a stern warning from their doctors that this is a bad sign of health disaster.

There’s increasing scientific proof that a big, round belly can have life threatening implications. We have long known that potbellied people have more heart attacks, and develop hypertension and diabetes more often, too.

In 1996 a Harvard study determined that men with round, fleshy bellies are two to three times more likely to suffer from strokes than trim men. Fat belly is also associated with high-levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and elevated insulin levels.

Obesity has a long been recognized as a health menace, but scientist now agree that belly girth is a better indicator of mortality than weight or other measures of body fat.

So the message is clear that the numbers on your bathroom scale is less worrisome than the width of your belt.