By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Many people may think thinness is an indicator of health since obesity is seen at the root of many adult diseases. However, according to Prof. Lee Ji-won of the Yonsei Severance Hospital, women with svelte legs and arms but thick waist areas are at high risk of kidney-related diseases. Being so-called TOFI, or Thin on the Outside, Fat on the Inside, can lead to as many problems as fat around the legs or arms, she said.
By studying 425 women between the ages of 28 and 45 who had no diabetes or obesity-related disease in their family history, she found that women with a body mass index (BMI) below 30 were particularly susceptible to kidney malfunction if their fat distribution was centralized. BMIs over 31 indicate possible obesity.
Her report, published for the Kidney and Blood Pressure Research journal, says that even in apparently healthy women, those with central fat distribution are at greater risk of diminished renal filtration due to lower glomerular filtration rates (GFR), a major index for kidney function.
``TOFI subjects marked 60-90 milliliters per minute, lower than the norm of 90,'' Lee said.
Asian women are more likely to have such shapes than other nationalities, which tend to have fat distributed differently. ``Reduced kidney function is a worldwide health problem and a major risk factor for end-stage renal and cardiovascular disease. Identifying and treating it may be the best way of preventing renal impairment,'' Lee said.
``It's important to lose weight and look sleek but what is more important is to have the right amount of muscle and fat simultaneously. Regular exercise and healthy diets are the most appropriate measures for this,'' she added.