Your Pot-Belly is Killing You (and Your Liver)

Although, it is common knowledge that it is visceral, rather than subcutaneous that increases risk of all-cause mortality in (morbidly) obese people, the results of a soon to be published study by Thörne et.al. (Thörne. 2010) might be a good reminder for everyone not to judge solely by the flabby love-handles:

In patients with high liver fat content, there was an approximately 2-fold increase in visceral adipocyte maximal glycerol release induced by the different lipolytic agents (P < 0.002 to 0.01). Noradrenaline-mediated free fatty acid release from visceral adipocytes was also about twice as high in patients with high liver fat (P < 0.004). In contrast, in sc [subcutaneous] adipocytes, no relationship between liver fat content and either glycerol or free fatty acid release was found. (Thörne. 2010)

So how do you protect your liver and overall health? Best thing, avoid getting fat in the first place. How? Just keep visiting the SuppVersity on a daily base and educated yourself on the newest findings in the science of exercise and nutrition ;-)