Goldshield - Hidden Fat Inside Your Body

Hidden fat inside your body

New MRI scan can show internal fat deposits in the body

Contrary to the common assumption that slim people must be healthier than fat or obese people, scientists have discovered that many outwardly slim people are storing dangerous layers of fat inside their body which could put their health at more risk than fat or obese people.

Using a sophisticated MRI scanner doctors have discovered that many people who look slim carry large amounts of fat located around important organs such as their heart, pancreas and liver. It is this fat, rather than the subcutaneous fat found under the skin, which sends out chemical signals which eventually lead to insulin resistance, diabetes and heart conditions.

The study has also revealed that body shape might be a better health indicator. For instance, people with 'apple' shaped bodies, with weight concentrated around their abdomen, may be at a higher risk of developing heart ailments and diabetics than those with weighty hips and thighs.

Lead researcher, Professor Jimmy Bell, head of the molecular imaging group at the Medical Research Council's centre at Imperial College, London, said: "The important message is people shouldn't be happy just because they look thin; it's not about looking fit or looking thin, it's about being healthy.

"You can look healthy, but have a lot of fat internally, which can have a detrimental effect on your health."

Professor Bell warned that 40% of the population stored fat internally, placing them at terrible health risks.

The research comes after a survey published last week which showed four out of five adults in the UK were storing up health probelms by failing to exercise enough.

Scientists say this lack of exercise, combined with a genetic pre-disposition, can lead to fat being stored around vital organs, streaked through underused muscles and wrapped around the heart.

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