Belly Fat Poses More Health Risks Than Obesity, New Study Warns

People with belly fat are prone to more health risks than people who are obese, a new health study has found.

According to a health study, published in the "Journal Annals of Internal Medicine," people who carry fat around their belly have higher mortality risk than those who are obese or have a pear-shaped body.

Researchers claim that fat deposit on the midsection is a strong risk factor for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, as well as some forms of cancers, according to IBTimes.

The study led by Mayo Clinic cardiologist Francisco Lopez-Jimenez was conducted over the course of 14-years and involved more than 15,000 people.

For the purpose of the study, the researchers looked at information from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and compared the mortality risks based on BMI or body mass index and waist-to-hip ratios.

It was found that people who weighed a normal amount for their heights but who were obese around their middles had the worst long-term survival compared with any other group, regardless of BMI, reported TampaBayReview.

The death rate among normal weight men with bigger bellies was twice the rate for men who were obese. While, women with normal body weight but with higher belly fat were at 32 percent higher risk compared to obese women.

"Waist size matters, particularly in people who are a normal weight," said Dr. Francisco Lopez-Jimenez.

 "The lack of recognition of this leads people with abnormal distribution of fat to have a false sense of safety or reassurance that they don't need to exercise or they can eat whatever they want because they are "skinny" when in reality, if a person has a normal BMI and an abnormal waist size the risk is worse than if they have a high BMI."

Based on the study results, the researchers have stressed that people must adopt an active lifestyle and eat the correct diet in order to prevent fat from depositing around the belly.