Obesity doesn’t Guarantee Health: Normal Cholesterol Levels Can Mask Serious Risks, Doctor Warns
A common assumption that normal cholesterol levels indicate overall health in individuals with higher body fat is inaccurate, according to Dr. Hans Tandra. He asserts that people with a ”fat body” and normal cholesterol are still at significant risk of developing serious conditions including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and even cancer.
In a recent broadcast on teh Good Talk TV YouTube channel, Dr.Hans explained that standard cholesterol tests don’t reveal the full picture of health risks associated with excess weight. Manny obese individuals present with normal cholesterol and LDL levels in blood tests, yet harbor substantial amounts of visceral fat – fat stored within the abdominal cavity.
“There are fat people who are checked for good cholesterol. As what do they do? Check the fat in thier stomach, check their blood for no cholesterol. Cholesterol is fine, LDL is not high. There are those who are like that.But usually if the doctor says it’s safe and then leaves it, that’s not good,” Dr. Hans stated.
Visceral fat, he explained, functions as an “inflammatory factory” within the body, posing a danger even if not visibly apparent like subcutaneous fat. This internal fat accumulates around vital organs like the liver, pancreas, and intestines, triggering chronic inflammation – a precursor to various degenerative diseases.
Dr. Hans emphasized that even without elevated cholesterol, a large stomach can initiate inflammation.he further noted that standard blood cholesterol examinations may not detect the dangers of visceral fat, and a person can have normal results while still storing significant abdominal fat.
This visceral fat is a primary driver of insulin resistance, a condition where the body struggles to effectively utilize insulin. “cholesterol blood checks are good but insulin resistance. You can check insulin, you can check HOMA-IR or HOMA-B, that will usually be disturbed. Insulin resistance occurs then inflammation. Careful inflammation, easy stroke, easy heart attack, easy obesity and diabetes,” Dr. Hans explained.
