Men with Beer bellies Warned they are at Risk of Weaker Bones

Afrik Update

HEALTH

By Claire Bates

   

Men with excessive fat around their middles aren't just putting their hearts under strain - they are also at risk of weaker bones.

Men with beer bellies had a higher chance of developing osteoporosis, a disease usually associated with older women.

The condition makes bones more prone to breaks as they lose density. Over a third of women have one or more bone fractures because of osteoporosis in their lifetime, however so do one in five men.

'Most studies on osteoporosis have focused on women,' study leader Dr Miriam Bredella said.

'Men were thought to be relatively protected against bone loss, especially obese men.'

Visceral fat, which is what causes the a pot belly even in thin people, is far more menacing because the fat is packed in-between the inner organs and is strongly linked to heart disease. Genetics, a high-fat diet and a sedentary lifestyle all contribute to visceral fat.

'What surprised us most was that men with visceral fat had significantly weaker bones than (the subcutaneous fat) group.

There appears to be two main reasons that belly fat leads to osteoporosis, Dr Bredella said. One is that all people with visceral fat secrete less human growth hormone, which plays an important role in maintaining healthy bones.

The second reason is that visceral fat secretes certain molecules that cause inflammation, which in turn, weakens bones.