Sadhguru Explains Why Belly Fat is a Health Red Flag for Young Women

In

a recent Instagram video, spiritual leader Sadhguru cautioned that excess belly fat in young women should be taken seriously. According to him, “Once abdominal fat gathers, then a young woman is definitely inviting trouble for herself. How soon or how late depends on various genetic and other aspects of life.”

The underlying dangers of visceral fat

Sadhguru places special emphasis on visceral fat, the fat stored deep inside the abdominal cavity, that’s metabolically active and capable of releasing inflammatory markers. These inflammatory molecules may worsen pain sensitivity and are linked to chronic pain conditions like fibromyalgia. Because women’s hormonal profiles influence fat distribution, abdominal fat has a disproportionately strong impact on their health outcomes.

Medical experts quoted in the article highlight several health risks tied to excess belly fat:

• Cardiovascular disease: Abdominal obesity is linked to heart attacks, hypertension, and stroke.
• Insulin resistance & type 2 diabetes: Central fat worsens glucose metabolism, increasing diabetes risk.
• Metabolic syndrome: A cluster of obesity, high blood pressure, and dyslipidemia often begins with visceral fat.
• Musculoskeletal strain: Extra belly weight places mechanical stress on the back and joints, aggravating pain and conditions like osteoarthritis.
• Others: It can contribute to sleep apnea, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hormonal imbalance and infertility, and increase risk of certain cancers (breast, colon, endometrial).

Why women need to be especially mindful

Because estrogen and other hormonal mechanisms influence how and where women accumulate fat, excess abdominal fat can disrupt reproductive health and cause metabolic imbalance. “If they exercise, it’s half an hour, one hour in the morning, rest of the time, they are sitting. Because of this, there’s not enough activity in the region. That’s one reason,” he said, adding that another reason is that the reproductive process is not made use of. “It’s very important that you do hatha yoga. If you are just gyming and using muscles and looking fit, that’s not good. From the age of 12, if a girl child starts doing hatha yoga, they will go through this effortlessly,” he added.

Steps toward prevention & reversal

• Experts recommend several lifestyle measures to mitigate the risk:
• Balanced diet with whole foods and reduced processed, sugary, or high-fat items.
• Regular physical activity, especially that which activates the core and encourages overall movement.
• Monitoring waist circumference in addition to BMI, since central fat gives more accurate warning signs.