What exactly is the 'abdominal fat percentage' shown on InBody results? I'm curious why this is so important for weight loss.
Abdominal fat percentage indicates how much of your total body fat is concentrated in the abdominal area. Accumulating fat in the belly is far more dangerous than a simple increase in overall body weight because it creates a vicious cycle: fat accumulation leads to the release of inflammatory substances, which increases insulin resistance and lowers your overall metabolic rate. Consequently, a higher abdominal fat percentage significantly reduces energy efficiency, making you more prone to weight loss plateaus and a constitution that is resistant to dieting.
I have personally experienced the frustration of a protruding belly due to irregular eating habits during busy periods; it is a struggle that goes beyond mere aesthetics. From a medical perspective, visceral fat is not just an energy reservoir; it continuously secretes pro-inflammatory cytokines into the bloodstream. This triggers 'insulin resistance,' where cells no longer respond effectively to insulin, causing sugars to be stored as fat rather than used for energy.
In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this condition is viewed as an accumulation of 'Dam-eum' (phlegm-fluid) and 'Eo-hyeol' (blood stasis). Dam-eum refers to metabolic waste resulting from impaired fluid metabolism, while Eo-hyeol refers to stagnated, viscous blood. Specifically, when 'Bi-heo' (Spleen deficiency) occurs, the body fails to convert nutrients into energy efficiently, instead transforming them into Dam-eum that accumulates in the abdomen.
Ultimately, a high abdominal fat percentage is a signal that your body's 'metabolic factory' is malfunctioning. This cannot be solved by simple starvation. The priority should be clearing stagnated waste and restoring Spleen function to create a 'body that burns well.' Rather than struggling alone, I invite you to examine your current physiological state with me to find a sustainable solution.
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