Being overweight is traditionally associated with health problems. However, in new study scientists have found that a voluminous belly and a double chin, on the contrary, may indicate that a person is lucky with genes.
Researchers from the UK studied 37 diseases traditionally associated with obesity and found a direct causal relationship between 21 diseases and a body mass index above 30.
However, 12 out of 21 diseases, including coronary heart disease, stroke and type II diabetes, were associated with the presence or absence of certain genes. Their owners remained healthy despite being overweight or even obese.
The distribution of fat in our body is controlled by genes, and “good luck genes” cause it to accumulate in more “safe” places, such as under the skin of the abdomen or chin.
But in people who do not have “good luck genes”, fat can accumulate around vital organs, such as the liver or pancreas. Such visceral fat can provoke the development of type II diabetes, heart disease and others.
The remaining nine diseases out of 21 had no connection with genes – they were provoked by an additional load on the body due to excess weight. These are diseases such as thrombosis and arthritis of the knees.