Insulin Resistance & Stubborn Belly Fat
8th Sense treats insulin resistance and stubborn belly fat by targeting the root metabolic and hormonal causes, not just diet and exercise, with a Functional Medicine approach aimed at reversing it.
Stubborn abdominal fat is not always simply caused by eating too much or exercising too little. Particularly when fat accumulates around the waist, it may be a visible sign of an underlying metabolic problem—especially insulin resistance.
Abdominal obesity is associated with increased visceral fat, the metabolically active fat surrounding the internal organs. Visceral fat is strongly associated with insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
What is insulin resistance?
Insulin helps glucose move from the blood into our cells for energy.
With insulin resistance, muscle, liver and fat cells become less responsive to insulin. The pancreas compensates by producing more, meaning that insulin may already be elevated while blood glucose is still normal.
Higher insulin promotes fat storage and reduces mobilisation of stored fat, which can make abdominal fat particularly stubborn.
Insulin Resistance Has a Wide Spectrum of Presentation
Insulin resistance does not present only as weight gain or diabetes. It can exist for years before blood glucose becomes abnormal and may be associated with a broad spectrum of metabolic, hormonal and clinical problems.
These may include:
Stubborn abdominal and visceral fat • dyslipidaemia • hypertension • fatty liver (MASLD) • PCOS • infertility • adult acne • hair loss • fatigue • sleep apnoea • erectile dysfunction • sarcopenia and increased cardiometabolic risk.
Insulin resistance has also been associated with cognitive decline and increased risk of several chronic diseases, although association does not necessarily mean direct causation.
The Insulin–Visceral Fat Cycle
The relationship works both ways.
Insulin resistance → higher insulin → increased fat storage → more visceral fat → inflammation → worsening insulin resistance.
Visceral fat itself produces inflammatory signals that can further impair insulin sensitivity. Importantly, you do not have to be overweight to have insulin resistance. A person may have a normal BMI but still carry increased abdominal or visceral fat.
Why Treating the Fat Alone May Not Be Enough
Abdominal fat should not automatically be treated only as an aesthetic problem.
Removing subcutaneous fat does not necessarily correct the underlying metabolic dysfunction. Research has shown that even substantial liposuction did not significantly improve insulin sensitivity or several important metabolic risk markers. Aesthetic fat reduction and metabolic treatment are not the same thing.
Functional Medicine Approach at 8th Sense
At 8th Sense Functional Medicine, we ask not only:
“How do we reduce the belly fat?” but also:
“Why is this person accumulating it?”
Dr Sly Nedic, MD, IFMCP, uses Functional Medicine approach to assess potential underlying causes including insufficient nutrition and detoxification, hormones disbalance, thyroid function, stress and cortisol, sleep, inflammation, lifestyle and genetic predisposition when appropriate.
Treatment is personalised to improve insulin sensitivity, metabolic health and visceral fat, while addressing the individual factors contributing to stubborn abdominal fat.
FAQ
Yes. Insulin resistance and compensatory high insulin can promote fat storage and make mobilisation of stored fat more difficult. Increasing visceral fat can then further worsen insulin resistance.
Yes. In the earlier stages, the pancreas may produce more insulin to keep glucose within the normal range. Normal glucose alone therefore does not necessarily exclude insulin resistance.
Yes. Some people have a normal weight or BMI but increased visceral fat, abdominal adiposity or metabolic abnormalities. Body weight alone does not define metabolic health.
Insulin resistance is one possible reason, but it is not the only one. Hormonal changes, menopause, stress and cortisol, poor sleep, thyroid dysfunction, medications, insufficient nutrition, genetics and lifestyle may also contribute. Identifying the underlying drivers allows treatment to be more individualised.
Insulin sensitivity can often be substantially improved, particularly when identified early. Functional Medicine approach aims to reverse insulin resistance. Nutrition, physical activity and resistance training, reduction of visceral fat, adequate sleep, stress management and correction of contributing metabolic or hormonal factors are important. Medical treatment may also be appropriate for selected patients.
*Disclaimer: Treatment results will vary on a patient to patient basis. No guarantees can be made.
