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A recent study published in the scientific journal Addiction sheds light on the relationship between smoking and visceral fat, emphasizing the importance of quitting smoking for overall health and well-being.
While smokers often have lower body weights compared to non-smokers, they are more prone to accumulating visceral fat, a type of unhealthy fat that accumulates deep inside the abdomen and around vital organs such as the liver, heart, and kidneys. This “hidden” fat poses significant health risks, including an increased likelihood of developing serious illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and dementia, regardless of a person’s overall body weight or outward appearance.
Lead author Dr. German D. Carrasquilla from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark highlights the findings of the study, which examined the impact of smoking on abdominal fat distribution among over 1.2 million individuals who initiated smoking and over 450,000 lifelong smokers. The study also analyzed body fat distribution in over 600,000 individuals to understand the link between smoking habits and fat compartments in different parts of the body.
The results of the study indicate that smoking may lead to an increase in belly fat, particularly visceral fat, as evidenced by measurements of waist-to-hip ratio. This suggests that even individuals who appear thin with a flat stomach may harbor unhealthy amounts of visceral fat, putting them at risk of various chronic diseases.
Dr. Carrasquilla emphasizes the public health implications of these findings, underscoring the importance of large-scale efforts to prevent and reduce smoking in the general population. By quitting smoking, individuals can potentially reduce abdominal visceral fat and mitigate the associated health risks, thereby improving overall health outcomes.
The study’s findings reinforce the notion that addressing one major health risk, such as smoking, can indirectly alleviate other significant health risks associated with visceral fat accumulation. As such, efforts to promote smoking cessation should be prioritized as part of comprehensive public health initiatives aimed at reducing the burden of chronic diseases and improving population health.
