May be of interest to some folks. The Scientist: Belly Fat Has a Role to Play in Fighting Infections

[BadHare]

Belly Fat Has a Role to Play in Fighting Infections

Hanging in front of the abdomen like an apron, the depot of visceral fat known as the omentum helps regulate immune responses.

Oct 1, 2018

SELENE MEZA-PEREZ, TROY D. RANDALL

Fat is a loaded tissue. Not only is it considered unsightly, the excess flab that plagues more than two-thirds of adults in America is associated with many well-documented health problems. In fact, obesity (defined as having a body mass index of 30 or more) is a comorbidity for almost every other type of disease. But, demonized as all body fat is, deep belly fat known as visceral adipose tissue (VAT) also has a good side: it’s a critical component of the body’s immune system.

VAT is home to many cells of both the innate and adaptive immune systems. These cells influence adipocyte biology and metabolism, and in turn, adipocytes regulate the functions of the immune cells and provide energy for their activities. Moreover, the adipocytes themselves produce antimicrobial peptides, proinflammatory cytokines, and adipokines that together act to combat infection, modify the function of immune cells, and maintain metabolic homeostasis.

Unfortunately, obesity disrupts both the endocrine and immune functions of VAT, thereby promoting inflammation and tissue damage that can lead to diabetes or inflammatory bowel disease. As researchers continue to piece together the complex connections between immunity, gut microbes, and adipose tissues, including the large deposit of fat in the abdomen known as the omentum, they hope not only to gain an understanding of how fat and immunity are linked, but to also develop fat-targeted therapeutics that can moderate the consequences of infectious and inflammatory diseases.

the-scientist.com/features/...

[silverfox7]

Interesting but difficult to control I would imagine. How many of us have had our BMI tested unless we are morbidly obese?

[BadHare in reply to silverfox7]

There are several websites available for ascertaining BMI by putting in age, height, & weight. Some use body build or activity level: nhs.uk/Tools/Pages/Healthyw...

If I'm at the top of the NHS healthy BMI scale, I'd consider myself clinically obese. Embarrassingly, I've had a lot of dinner invitations when I've been at the lowest "healthy" BMI.

[Angel_of_the_North in reply to BadHare]

However BMI doesn't take any account of body composition, so a muscular athlete has the same measurement as a fat person of the same height - perhaps higher as muscle is heavier than fat. Body fat percentage is a much better measurement. I have a lower BMI now than when I was a bodybuilder, but I'm much fatter.

[silverfox7 in reply to BadHare]

I worked in a department that had those horrible pincers!