(or 'apple-shaped' or 'masculine'
Obesity ) occurs when the main deposits of
Body Fat are localised around the
Abdomen and the upper body.
Central obesity is common in
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and
Syndrome X , and it is associated with a statistically higher risk of
Heart Disease ,
Hypertension ,
Insulin Resistance and
Diabetes Mellitus type 2.
Central obesity can also be a feature of
Lipodystrophies , a group of diseases which is either
Inherited , or due to secondary causes (often
Protease Inhibitor s, a group of
Medication s against
AIDS ).
Central obesity is diagnosed by measuring the
Waist-hip Ratio . When this exceeds 1.0 in men or 0.9 in women, one can speak of central obesity.
Weight Loss is the main intervention against central obesity when this is considered disfiguring or when it puts one at a risk for the above mentioned diseases. Adjunctive therapies are the use of
Orlistat or
Sibutramine . In the presence of
Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 , the physician might prefer to prescribe
Metformin and
Thiazolidinedione s (
Rosiglitazone or
Pioglitazone ) as
Anti-diabetic Drug s rather than
Sulfonylurea derivatives.
