Did you know that thin bodies can also get heart disease?

Heart attacks can be experienced by anyone, both men and women, young or older. However, so far, people often assume that people with a fuller body, alias fat, are more prone to heart disease. Although the name of the disease does not look at the size or shape of the body. Your health does not depend on your weight, although sometimes your waist circumference is an indicator of certain health conditions.

Should a healthy lifestyle be put aside if you are not overweight? Many people think because they are thin they can eat as they please and not exercise. Even though you may look healthy from the outside, that doesn't mean you don't have health problems, especially heart disease.

There is a study in the medical journal "Annals of Internal Medicine" published in 2015 which states that people with normal weight with fat distribution in the middle of the body are more at risk of dying from heart disease than people with obesity.

Thus, a thin body is not a guarantee of being free from heart disease. The trigger is the distribution or location of stored saturated fat. Invisible fat or stored visceral fat lining the internal organs can be a threat. There are also many other studies showing that underweight people have a greater risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared to people with normal nutritional status.

One study in Bali found that those who were underweight had a 3.6 times greater risk of coronary heart disease compared to people of normal weight. After suffering from coronary heart disease, people who are underweight also have a greater risk of premature death than people who are overweight.

The following are some of the reasons why being underweight does not guarantee a person is free from heart disease.

1. Poor Habits

Not a few of those who are thin feel safe, so they tend to consume fatty foods in excess. For example, she likes to eat steak, fried chicken, fried foods, and so on. In fact, the intake of these foods greatly affects the accumulation of saturated fat in the body. In addition, people with thin bodies often do not or rarely exercise because they feel they are not fat. In fact, exercise can increase the sensitivity of the hormone insulin, which is related to blood sugar levels. When a high-fat diet (and sweet foods) is combined with less exercise, the risk of diabetes increases. Well, diabetes, also known as diabetes, also plays a role in the process of heart disease. Other unhealthy habits, such as smoking, are also widely associated with heart problems.

2. Abdominal Fat

There is a condition known as central obesity, which is the distribution of fat that is concentrated in the abdominal area. Well, this can be experienced by people with less weight. In fact, compared to fat that is evenly distributed in the body, people with belly fat are more at risk of developing heart disease.

3. Low Hemoglobin Levels in the Blood

Those whose bodies are thin usually suffer from anemia, or lack of blood. The amount of hemoglobin in the blood serves to bind oxygen. If anemia is not treated properly, it can cause the heart to work too hard to deliver enough oxygen. This condition can increase the risk of heart failure.

4. Congenital Heart Disease

Congenital heart disease is a disease experienced from birth. This condition is characterized by low function of the valves, walls, or blood vessels of the heart. Research shows that people with congenital heart disease and low body weight are up to 12 times more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. That is, the effect of congenital heart disease will be greater in people who are underweight.

The condition is more prone to being experienced by thin people because, generally, people still think that being overweight is the main indicator. People forget that there are hidden fats that are even more dangerous. So, the assumption that a thin body is free from the threat of heart disease is just a myth. To prevent this, maintain an ideal body weight with a healthy, balanced diet, regular exercise, and not smoking. If you are thin and still unsure about your actual health condition, you can directly ask the doctors at the nearest Hermina Hospital to provide the best solution.