Cambridge: Combining diet and exercise may reduce harmful fat around the organs, helping lower the risk of metabolic diseases, according to new research from Cambridge University. While a healthy lifestyle aids weight loss, researchers emphasize that fat location matters. Subcutaneous fat lies under the skin, but visceral fat around abdominal organs poses greater health risks, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

According to Anadolu Agency, the research published in the journal JAMA Network Open involved 7,256 adults from the Fenland Study. Over seven years, researchers tracked participants' physical activity using wearable heart rate and movement sensors. Participants' average age was 49 at the start of the study and 56 at follow-up.

"When people talk about changes in body weight, they often refer to a single number on the scale. But not all weight loss or gain is the same," said Shayan Aryannezhad, lead author of the study, according to MedicalXpress. He emphasized that combining a better diet with more physical activity is effective in improving not just weight, but also in reducing harmful fat around organs.

Senior author Nita Forouhi, a professor of population health and nutrition at Cambridge, highlighted that improving diet and increasing physical activity in middle age can aid weight management, prevent disease, and support healthy aging. Forouhi noted that even small, sustained lifestyle changes are beneficial and urged policymakers to alter food and physical activity environments to make healthier choices more accessible to all.