CHICAGO, Nov. 30 (UPI) -- A U.S. study has linked belly fat to higher osteoporosis risk -- as well as heart disease and diabetes.
Dr. Miriam Bredella of Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School in Boston says obesity is a major public health problem but now abdominal obesity needs to be included as a risk factor for osteoporosis and bone loss.
"Our results showed that having a lot of belly fat is more detrimental to bone health than having more superficial fat or fat around the hips," Bredella, the study's lead author, says in a statement."It is important for the public to be aware that excess belly fat is a risk factor for bone loss, as well as heart disease and diabetes."
The researchers evaluated the abdominal subcutaneous, visceral and total fat -- as well as bone marrow fat and bone mineral density -- in 50 pre-menopausal women.
The findings were presented in Chicago at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
