Why Lose Belly Fat? Central Obesity and Health

Obesity is a condition characterized by excessive accumulation of body fat and increased body weight. Scientific studies have revealed that obesity is associated with negative effects on health and reduced life expectancy. Obesity is most often defined as a body mass index (BMI) above 30. High BMI is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, lipid disorders, … Read more

Dietary Fat, Carbohydrates and Metabolic Syndrome

Time makes us fat. It’s not a myth, it’s a biologic fact. When we get old we get fat. In December 1863, William Banting, an English undertaker who went to great lengths to treat his own obesity, wrote in his now famous Letter on Corpulence: … For I have been generally informed that corpulence is one of the natural results of … Read more

The Modern-Day Heart Patient – From One Risk Profile to Another

Although the death rate from coronary heart disease (CHD) has declined rapidly during the last few decades, CHD remains the most common cause of death in most countries around the world. The reduction in death rate is partly due to fewer people being diagnosed with CHD and partly due to a better prognosis of those … Read more

10 Pitfalls of Using LDL Cholesterol to Assess Risk

Blood levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), commonly termed the “bad cholesterol” are widely used to assess the risk of future heart disease. A traditional lipid panel measures total cholesterol, triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C). These numbers are then used to calculate LDL-C which has been found to be strongly correlated with the risk of cardiovascular disease … Read more

Taxing Animal Fat Is Necessary – Still Chasing the Usual Suspects

New Nordic/Scandinavian public recommendations on diet and nutrition will be published this autumn. According to an article (English version-Google translation) published in a Swedish newspaper last week the new guidelines will underscore the risks of animal-derived saturated fats. The article is written by three Swedes, two of whom are experts in the field of health and nutrition. … Read more