Fat hits hips in three hours

Fat reaches our waist line within three hours of eating a big meal

The old saying that a moment on the lips is a lifetime on the hips could ring true as scientists discover food fats migrate to our waistlines within hours.

Researchers at Oxford University say fat in the foods we eat can be converted into tissue around our waist, hips, thighs and bum within three hours of consuming a big meal.

The study found the first fat from a big meal will enter the blood an hour after eating and within three to four hours most of the fat had been incorporated into tissue, most of which collects in the waist.

'The process is very fast,' says researcher Fredrik Karpe. 'The cells in the tissue around the waist catch the fat droplets as the blood carries them and incorporates them into the cells storage.'

'If you eat too much there will be constant accumulation and you will start to put on weight.'

The study, published in the Physiological Reviews, suggests healthy people find it easier to get rid of excess fat build up as regular exercise helps fat burning mechanisms in the long-term.

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