Many Indians who exercise regularly, maintain a seemingly normal weight, and boast perfect blood test reports may still be silently incubating serious diseases. The culprit, experts warn, is often hidden visceral fat that disrupts critical hormonal communication within the body, a risk particularly pronounced for the Indian population.
The Deceptive Safety of Normal Weight and Lab Reports
Dr. Abhijit Bhograj, Consultant Endocrinologist at Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru, points out a common but dangerous patient assertion: "Doctor I am fit but fat, my blood reports are in range." This sense of triumph, however, can be misleading. The biological reality for Indians is distinct. On average, they carry more visceral or abdominal fat and less muscle mass compared to other ethnic groups, even at identical body weights.
This means a few extra kilos on an Indian frame can have a disproportionately severe internal impact. While external fitness indicators and standard laboratory tests may appear normal, the crucial hormonal exchanges beneath the surface—involving ghrelin, leptin, incretins, and insulin—could be under significant strain. These hormones collectively manage appetite, satiety, fat storage, and blood glucose levels. When their communication breaks down, metabolic diseases can emerge stealthily in outwardly healthy individuals.
How Belly Fat Sabotages Your Hunger Hormones
The hormonal imbalance often begins with visceral fat's interference. Ghrelin, the hormone that signals hunger, tends to remain elevated due to modern stressors like irregular sleep and high stress, promoting constant eating and reducing insulin sensitivity. Conversely, leptin, which should signal fullness, becomes less effective—a condition known as leptin resistance.
Leptin resistance is notably common among Indians due to their propensity for central, visceral fat accumulation. This type of fat is metabolically active, producing inflammatory molecules that throw hormonal balance off-kilter and heighten the risk of insulin resistance.
Simultaneously, gut hormones called incretins (GLP-1 and GIP), which aid the pancreas in releasing insulin and promote feelings of fullness, begin to falter in the early stages of metabolic dysfunction. This leads to delayed insulin release and sharper spikes in blood sugar after meals—changes that occur long before standard blood tests flag an abnormality. Insulin, the central regulator, works overtime to compensate, but prolonged overwork leads to hyperinsulinemia and, eventually, full-blown insulin resistance.
Physical Activity Alone Is Not a Complete Shield
This complex disruption explains why a physically active person remains at risk. Many regular gym-goers with a fit appearance still harbor significant visceral or ectopic fat around vital organs like the liver and pancreas. This fat continuously communicates with the immune and endocrine systems, influencing appetite, glucose control, and inflammation.
Consequently, the transition from apparent health to metabolic disease can be swift and unexpected. Therefore, the "fit and fat" concept is not entirely false but is dangerously incomplete. While fitness undoubtedly offers protection by improving cardiovascular health, mood, and reducing inflammation, it cannot fully neutralize the adverse biological effects of excess visceral fat.
For Indians, this is especially critical as their bodies tend to store this hormonally active fat much earlier in life.
Shifting Focus from Weight to Metabolic Health
The solution lies in moving the focus from mere body weight or appearance to underlying metabolic wellness. Achieving this does not demand extreme diets or unrealistic targets. Instead, it requires a balanced, sustainable strategy:
- Prioritize Healthy Body Composition: Build and maintain adequate muscle mass while actively working to reduce visceral fat.
- Support Consistent Sleep: Prioritize regular, quality sleep to help regulate hunger hormones.
- Incorporate Daily Movement: Adopt regular physical activity spread throughout the day instead of relying solely on intense, isolated workouts.
These habits work synergistically to stabilize the hormonal pathways governing hunger, satiety, and insulin function, offering a more robust defense against hidden metabolic risks, according to Dr. Bhograj. The key takeaway is that for Indians, metabolic health requires looking beyond the scale and the standard lab report.
