Food News Hot buys to try

BODY FAT things you didn’t know about… 6

Change the way you think about your weight with these fascinating fat facts

BMI is not always best Traditio body fat is gauged by BM (body mass index), but, nutritionist and fi tness expert Yvonne Wake* says, it can be unreliable.

BMI can’t distinguish bet fat and muscle visceral fat. The most accurate way to calculate it is with a DEXA scan – a dual energy X-ray that’s used to measure bone density. ‘Skin callipers are another good way to estimate subcutaneous body fat,’ says Yvonne. ‘Also, look out for machines in gyms and clinics that can measure fat, skeletal, muscle and water mass, so will give an exact fat weight.’ 1 F at gets a bad rap, but with 61% of women in the UK now overweight or obese, how much we carry is worth considering. ‘Excess body fat makes us vulnerable to preventable diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and kidney failure,’ says GP and obesity expert Dr Ian Campbell. ‘It also causes mobility problems, back, hip and knee pain, sleep apnoea, and signifi cantly increases the risk of some forms of cancer. On average, an obese adult will die nine years too soon.’

Saying that, we do need a certain amount of fat for good health, so let’s learn more about how it can be a help or a hazard.

The fat-burning formula Yvonne shares her secrets to long-term fat loss… ✱ A strength-training programme, such as HIIT workouts ✱ Do aerobic exercise such as running, walking or bicycling ✱ Improve your sleep ✱ Add apple cider vinegar to your diet — it can aid weight loss ✱ Eat healthy fats, such as olive oil rather than butter ✱ Quit drinking sugary drinks ✱ Eat plenty of fi bre, and cut down on refi ned carbohydrates ✱ Follow a high-protein diet that includes seafood, eggs, legumes, meat and chicken. This will reduce the appetite and burn more fat. Studies have associated this with a lower risk of belly fat. 3 Not all fat is equal Did you know that there are diff erent types of fat in the body, and some are better for our health than others? ✱ BROWN FAT ‘Often called “good” fat, it’s found in the upper back and neck, and burns calories to generate heat and keep us warm,’ explains Dr Campbell. ‘Babies have plenty of it and it decreases as we age. Adults who have more brown fat tend to have naturally leaner bodies.’ ✱ WHITE FAT Most of our body is made up of large white cells that are stored under the skin and around organs — especially the belly, arms, buttocks and thighs. It’s not all bad, says Dr Campbell. ‘White fat stores energy and produces the hormones oestrogen, insulin and cortisol, as well as leptin — a hormone that helps to reduce appetite.’ ✱ VISCERAL FAT When stored around the liver, stomach and intestines, this ‘bad fat’ causes damage. ‘Visceral fat can build up in the arteries, and increases the risk of many heart conditions, stroke and type 2 diabetes,’ explains Yvonne. Dr Campbell says weight loss will target dangerous belly fat stores to reduce the health risks signifi cantly. ✱ SUBCUTANEOUS FAT This is the fat directly under the skin — what we can squeeze. ‘It’s a combination of brown, white and beige fat cells,’ says Yvonne. ‘It’s the majority of our fat that’s found in the buttocks and belly.’ 2

Health & Wellbeing

Watch your waist A really simple way to gauge obesity risk is with your waistline measurement, says Dr Campbell. ‘For women, if it’s greater than 80cm you have a problem.’

Body shape is a fat factor Your genes and bod make-up can determine how your body holds on to fat. 4

✱ HOURGLASS Curvy, with a well-defi ned waistline, fuller hips, bust and thighs. Hourglass women often focu on shrinking fat from their st — or muffi n top. T MORE… Lean prote h as chicken and turke ll as low glycaemic-ind oods such as sweet pot

nd oatmeal. Reduce dairy and efi ned carbohydrates to avoid water retention and bloating.

✱ PEAR Hips are wider than houlders. Pear shapes t carry fat on thighs and CUS ON… A low-fat die h plenty of protein and mplex carbohydrates to excess fat.

✱ APPLE A softer, fuller middle with slim thighs and shapely legs. CUT DOWN ON… Sugar lays down visceral fat, and alcohol triggers the release of stress hormone cortisol, which caus fat storage around your midd

Fat matters It’s unhealthy to store too much, but fat has an important job to do in the body. ‘We get energy from our fat stores, and it’s what keeps us warm,’ says Yvonne. ‘The fat-soluble vitamins A, E, D and K are absorbed in body fat, and these are important vitamins for health.’ Fat – or adipose tissue as it’s medically called – also keeps the internal organs in place, and acts as a physical cushion, protecting the body from trauma. 5

Eating less isn’t enough ‘Dieting gets weight loss off to a good start, but evidence shows that women who diet and also increase their physical activity are more likely to shed fat and keep it off long term,’ explains Dr Campbell. 6