According to Dr. Arun Kumar N - Senior Consultant, nephrology and kidney transplant doctor at SPARSH Hospital (Jalandhar, India) - obesity is not just a normal fat accumulation. It triggers a series of changes in the body, directly harming the heart and blood vessels over time.
When the body metabolizes a large amount of protein, it produces acids that the kidneys have to work hard to filter and remove. This process increases the amount of calcium and uric acid in the urine, and at the same time, reduces the concentration of citrate - a natural substance that helps prevent the formation of stones.
Dr. Gupta emphasized that belly fat (also known as visceral fat) surrounds organs, much more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. The World Health Organization (WHO) also identifies obesity as a complex chronic disease, the "gateway" to type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Excess weight creates great pressure on the heart. At that time, the heart must pump more blood, operate at higher intensity to provide enough oxygen to the body and handle increased pressure in the blood vessels. Over time, this overload weakens the heart muscle.
A study in the journal Lancet shows that obesity is a direct cause of heart disease. Even if a person has normal blood sugar and cholesterol levels, being overweight still increases the risk of heart failure and stroke. Obesity plays a role as a foundation that makes other risk factors more dangerous.
Belly fat is especially dangerous because it has strong metabolic activity, releases toxic chemicals, increases insulin resistance and causes high blood pressure. This explains why people who look not too fat but have a large abdomen still face high risks. Obesity often comes with a range of problems such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and triglycerides, creating complex metabolic syndrome.
Many people may maintain a "healthy metabolic obesity" status with normal test indicators, but according to the European Heart Journal, this status is not sustainable. These people are still at 28% higher risk of heart disease than people with normal weight. Early warning signs to note include shortness of breath, chest discomfort, poor endurance, fatigue and swelling in the legs.
According to the Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA), mild weight loss helps reduce heart pressure, reduce systemic inflammation, improve insulin utilization, and reduce arterial stiffness. To protect your kidneys and heart, you should maintain drinking 2-3 liters of water per day, limit animal protein and processed foods, increase plant protein, and supplement with citrus fruits high in citrate.
