around the middle (or abdomen)—is closely related to development
of insulin resistance. Particularly when a man has a waist circum-
ference of more than 40 inches or a woman’s is 35 inches or more,
insulin resistance is significantly more likely to occur.
How does excess abdominal fat help to trigger insulin resistance?
Researchers are not entirely certain about this set of events. Tradi-
tionally, all of the research on insulin and blood sugar balance has
focused on muscle rather than fat. When insulin helps sugar leave the
bloodstream, it usually helps sugar enter a muscle cell—not a fat
cell.
Until recently, the role of fat cells in blood sugar balance has been
overlooked because the muscles have been viewed as so very important
in receiving sugar from the blood. Current research, however, has
made it clear that fat cells (called adipose tissue) also play a key role
in insulin metabolism and blood sugar regulation. One of these con-
nections, as described in the chapter on inflammation, is related to
the fact that overly fatty fat cells start making insufficient amounts
of adiponectin, a protein that helps insulin to lock onto cells and
escort sugar out of our blood. When adiponectin is in short supply,
too much sugar can remain in the blood, causing our pancreas to
produce more insulin in an effort to compensate. But the true problem
cannot be solved by more insulin. The true problem is insulin resist-
ance—in this case, being caused by too much abdominal body fat.
Insulin Resistance and the Tendency to Become Overweight
Just as too much abdominal fat can increase our tendency to develop
insulin resistance, insulin resistance can increase our tendency to
become overweight. Particularly in women who are lean and have
lower amounts of total body fat, insulin resistance increases the
chance of weight gain and obesity. Women who have gone through
menopause also have increased risk of weight gain following the
development of insulin resistance. In women who are already obese,
however, insulin resistance may actually protect against weight gain
and make weight loss easier. Finally, there is some fascinating
World’s Healthiest Foods Balance Blood Sugar Levels