From the Guidelines
The 8-letter answer is ABDOMEN. When people gain weight due to a sedentary lifestyle, the abdomen or midsection is typically the first area to accumulate excess fat. This pattern of fat distribution, often called "central obesity" or "visceral fat," occurs because the body tends to store excess calories around the vital organs in the abdominal cavity when physical activity is limited. Hormonal factors, particularly cortisol and insulin, play significant roles in promoting abdominal fat storage, especially when combined with inactivity. This type of fat accumulation is particularly concerning from a health perspective as visceral fat is metabolically active and associated with increased risks of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, as supported by studies such as 1. Men are somewhat more prone to abdominal fat storage than women, though post-menopausal women also experience increased abdominal fat deposition due to hormonal changes. Key factors contributing to this pattern include:
- Sedentary behavior
- Excess intra-abdominal adiposity
- Systemic inflammation
- Mitochondrial dysfunction, as discussed in 1
- Capillary rarefaction
- Reduced nitric oxide bioavailability Given the strong association between abdominal fat accumulation and increased risk of chronic diseases, maintaining a healthy weight and engaging in regular physical activity are crucial for preventing such outcomes.
From the Research
Accumulation of Fat Due to Sedentary Lifestyle
- When gaining weight due to a sedentary lifestyle, the area of the body most likely to accumulate fat is the abdominal area, which is associated with an increased risk of metabolic and cardiovascular disease 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
- Studies have shown that visceral fat accumulation is a major concern, as it is linked to various health issues, including cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and metabolic dysfunctions, as well as pathological pain behaviors 3, 4, 5, 6.
- The combination of regular physical activity and a healthy diet can help reduce visceral fat mass and cardiovascular risk in individuals with metabolic syndrome 3, 4.
- High-intensity resistance training has been shown to induce a faster visceral fat loss, and thus may be an effective way to improve visceral fat loss and carotid-intima-media-thickness 4.
- Orlistat 60 mg has also been found to reduce visceral adipose tissue, with a significantly greater loss of VAT compared to placebo-treated subjects after a 24-week weight loss program 6.
Key Findings
- Sedentary lifestyle and overweight are major public health concerns, and regular physical activity can help prevent unhealthy weight gain and obesity 2.
- A minimum of 60 min, but most likely 80-90 min of moderate-intensity physical activity per day may be needed to avoid or limit weight regain in formerly overweight or obese individuals 2.
- The optimal approach in weight reduction programs appears to be a combination of regular physical activity and caloric restriction 2.
- Physical exercise can reverse part of the obesity-related pathologies by modulating the crosstalk between the adipose tissue and body systems 5.