Scientists to expose risks of hidden fat

Almost 90 per cent of people in the UK do not know what visceral fat is, but nearly two-thirds said they were more motivated to lose weight after hearing about the associated risks, researchers said today.

The National Obesity Forum and leading scientists called for greater public awareness of the so-called hidden fat that surrounds abdominal organs and which, in excess, increases the risk of life-threatening diseases.

They urged Britons to shun unsustainable fad diets in favour of understanding the dangers of visceral fat and motivating themselves to lose weight sensibly.

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Professor David Haslam, the forum's chairman, said: "Fad diets, which usually promise quick fix weight loss, are unsustainable.

"They can actually do more harm than good. Invariably weight is put back on, with some of the weight regained accumulating as visceral fat."