The Belly Fat My Doctor Never Explained
Why South Asians Face Silent Risks and How I Learned the Hard Way.
Why South Asians Face Silent Risks and How I Learned the Hard Way.
When I turned 38, the doctors told me I’d need yearly testing on my arteries because of my genetic risk for plaque buildup.
That’s when I realized my body was built differently from my white friends.
That the fat accumulating around my belly was serious, not just vanity.
What My Doctor Never Said
They didn’t tell me that I store fat differently, especially around my belly.
They didn’t explain what visceral fat is: the fat that builds up around your organs.
It doesn’t always show. You can look “normal” in clothes and still carry high visceral fat.
They didn’t tell me I was at high risk for insulin resistance, diabetes, and heart disease because I’m South Asian.
And they for sure as hell didn’t tell me why I’m built differently, probably because they have no idea!
But I do now!
More on the reasons why, in a different post! Because it’s a lot to unpack.
The Risk No One Talks About
Studies show South Asians are up to four times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than white Americans.
We also develop heart disease at lower BMIs.
But we aren’t warned early.
We’re not screened differently.
We don’t even realize it until it’s too late.
What I’m Learning Now
Belly fat isn’t only about overeating. It’s tied to genetics, hormones, and stress.
Cortisol (our stress hormone) makes visceral fat worse.
Diet culture didn’t solve it. Restriction and guilt just made me crave more.
Why I’m Writing This
I used to think belly fat was because I was lazy, overeating, or doing something wrong.
Now I know it’s hereditary, and more so, a quiet risk, especially for brown bodies.
And I don’t want anyone else to find out the way I did: in a doctor’s office, being told I’d need yearly scans because of my family history and genetics, without ever having been educated on why my body holds fat differently.