Food for Thought
More body fat around the middle in adults correlates with poor vitamin D status.
Here’s another good reason for people to reduce their Buddha-bellies: improving their vitamin D status. According to data presented at the 2018 European Society of Endocrinology’s annual meeting in Barcelona, Spain, researchers from the Netherlands found that more body fat around adults’ waistline is associated with lower vitamin D levels. Beyond raising the risk of weak bones, poor vitamin D status could set the stage for other health issues, including heart disease and compromised immunity. It’s possible that a lack of vitamin D predisposes someone to store extra belly fat, but more research on the association is needed.