Why Visceral Fat is So Dangerous and What You Can Do About It with Dr. Ana Claudia Rosa

This episode is brought to you by Cozy Earth and Sweetgreen. 

In the pursuit of optimal health, physicians and individuals must broaden their perspective beyond the visible, subcutaneous fat. Often fixated on this outer layer, doctors might overlook signs of metabolic dysfunction in leaner individuals and miss the silent killer beneath the surface. Addressing visceral fat levels can unlock the secrets to longevity and redefine the well-being standards for all.

Today on The Dhru Purohit Podcast, Dhru sits down with Dr. Ana Claudia Rosa to discuss visceral fat as the silent killer behind inflammation in our body, which ultimately leads to most chronic diseases. Dr. Rosa shares MRI images to show how individuals with the same body mass index can have varying degrees of visceral fat that can significantly impact their health. Dr. Rosa also shares the lifestyle factors that increase visceral fat and the factors we can hone in on to reverse the percentage of visceral fat in our body. If you are looking to deep dive into visceral fat, this episode is for you! 

Dr. Ana Claudia Rosa is a physician, radiologist, and medical doctor affiliated with the VA healthcare system. She holds the position of assistant professor at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Rosa is an expert on visceral fat, emphasizing its significance in detection and detailed reporting. She guides both patients and ordering providers through cross-section imaging, particularly MRI scans.

In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Rosa dive into (audio version / Apple Subscriber version):

Why visceral fat is so dangerous to our body and what it can do in your body (1:53 / 1:53)

Different types of fat (7:11 / 7:11)

How body mass index is not a factor in determining visceral fat (14:37 / 13:15) 

Ectopic fat and the damage it causes to our organs (21:40 / 20:10) 

The drivers of visceral fat (26:10 / 24:50) 

The impact of visceral fat on longevity (40:25 / 38:45) 

The role stress, sleep, and diet play in reducing visceral fat (52:04 / 48:44) 

Why the body produces visceral fat (1:14:45 / 1:11:25)

Specific lifestyle advice to reduce visceral fat (1:18:30 / 1:16:30) 

A finding of normal on the MRI versus cause for concern (1:25:12 / 1:22:22)

The importance of muscle (1:34:50 /1:32:39)

Dr. Rosa’s health journey in losing visceral fat and becoming stronger (1:51:50 / 1:48:36) 

Health as an investment in your life (2:09:24 / 2:06:06)

Distinguishing visceral fat on your MRI (2:12:55 / 2:10:55)

Also mentioned in this episode:

Watch this episode on YouTube

Dr. Rosa’s Presentation Slides 

Dhru’s episode with Dr. Sean O’Mara 

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