Fat around your organs, called abdominal or visceral fat, is especially unhealthy. Visceral fat is metabolically active and can release chemicals that harm biological functioning, unlike subcutaneous fat.
Visceral fat produces inflammatory chemicals that can cause systemic inflammation. Chronic inflammation can cause cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Hormonal imbalances caused by abdominal obesity include insulin, cortisol, and sex hormones. Hormonal imbalances can cause health problems.
Visceral fat increases the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis.
Extra visceral fat can cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), which can compromise liver function and cause problems.
Abdominal fat increases the risk of sleep apnea, which disrupts breathing during sleep.