Death rates in people with BMIs over 30?

[Guest guest]

I thought the following post from the good doctor would be a good post for

the rest of the group :-). Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays all.

Edwin Freeman, Jr.

San Francisco, USA

____________________________________

From: ragiarn@...

To: EFreem3407@...

Sent: 12/24/2008 4:29:49 A.M. Pacific Standard Time

Subj: Re: Death rates in people with BMIs over 30?

Ed, you make an excellent point. Every one focuses on the subcutaneous fat

because that is what we see and many focus on the cosmetic aspect of the fat.

However it is the intra abdominal fat that does all the metabolic damage.

In the past I have cited numerous times a great article that examined this

very topic. (Metabolic and Body Composition Factors in Subgroups of Obesity:

What Do We Know? Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism Volume 89 •

Number 6 • June 2004)

They describe the metabolically healthy, but obese (MHO), individual, who

while being obese has very little intra abdominal fat and show no sign of

unhealthy metabolism.

On the other hand they describe the metabolically obese, but normal weight

(MONW), individual. These individuals have a normal body weight and BMI but

have increased intra abdominal fat and have all the metabolic risks of an obese

person.

As for your comment about cardio training, I do know that endurance training

increases capillary density in the muscles resulting in a decrease in blood

pressure and increase in insulin sensitivity. I do not know the effect of

resistance training on capillary density but I suspect that by the very nature

of resistance training capillary density is not increased. If anyone has

information on the effects of resistance training on capillary density could

you

please share it with us.

It is important to note here that, as far as I know, skin calipers do not

account for intra abdominal fat.

Doc

Ralph Giarnella MD

Southington Ct USA

>

> Subject: Re: Death rates in people with BMIs over 30?

> To: Supertraining , ragiarn@...

> Date: Tuesday, December 23, 2008, 8:47 PM

> This discussion raises some questions in my mind:

>

> Are these athletes only strength trained? Are the atheles

> also doing

> cardio? Do the athletes carry a lot of lean bodyweight or

> do they carry both lean

> bodyweight and bodyfat? If the athletes aren't doing

> any cardio; would

> cardio along with the strength training lead to more

> beneficial heart health and

> prevent sudden death?

>

> I personally know weightlifters/powerlifters that are very

> strong, have a

> lot of lean mass, but also have a lot of bodyfat in the way

> of huge guts. One

> local firefighter here weights about 330; he reps out for

> ten reps with 315,

> can rep out at 405, and I'm pretty sure he can hit a

> one rep max of almost 600

> lbs. He's tall, very big, lean, but also very fat.

> He has a buddha belly.

> He does cardio, he does the powerlifting, but yet he has a

> buddha belly.

> Surely a lifter like this can't compare to a much

> leaner lifter? A leaner

> lifter would be healthier?

>

> Just some things I thought of when reading this discussion

> thread.

>

> Edwin Freeman, Jr.

> San Francisco, USA

>

>

> In a message dated 12/20/2008 12:12:40 P.M. Pacific

> Standard Time,

> ragiarn@... writes:

>

> One concern I have is the tendency for resistance training

> to bring on

> concentric cardiac hypertrophy. While it is purported to

> healthy and can be

> distinguished form pathological concentric hypertrophy

> there is not data.

> Cardiac hypertrophy can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and

> sudden death.

>

> The problem with concentric cardiac hypertrophy is that

> while the heart

> muscle gets bigger the capillaries may not increase

> proportionately as happens

> with other muscles enlarged through resistance training.

> This lack of

> capillaries could lead to ischemia even in the presence of

> clean arteries and

> subsequently cardiac arrhythmia and sudden death.

>

> I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this.

>

> Ralph Giarnella MD

> Southington Ct USA