Love handles may show risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes — doctor

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February 21, 2026 | 4:19pm

MANILA, Philippines — Hearing the term "love handles" may sound nice, but the repercussions having too much of them are definitely not.

Love handles are the excess fat that builds above the waistline, right where a significant other would place their hands when embracing from behind, hence the name.

Dr. Juancho Alfredo D. Las of Makati Medical Canter explains that fat develops when a person gains more calories than they burn.

"The more fat cells you have, the more visible they are on your body," he explained. "Age, genetics, body composition and hormonal changes determine where fat settles, but the most common areas are the upper back, arms, stomach, buttocks, thighs and abdomen."

Excess fat is naturally unhealthy, abdominal fat especially, but too much visceral fat — fat around the heart, liver, and kidneys — may lead to illnesses like heart disease, stroke, type II diabetes, hypertension and some cancers.

Dr. Las listed some recommendations to reduce love handles, and in doing so improve one's health and wellbeing.

Diet change. Eating ultra-processed foods is a sure-fire way to get fat around the waist, plus the likelihood of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol as such food is packed with sodium, fat, and empty calories.

The doctor instead suggests natural, minimally processed foods like protein-rich chicken and fish as well as high-fiber leafy green veggies, fruits, oatmeal, and beans.

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Avocado and nuts offer their good fats, meanwhile, red or brown rice is ideal for whole grains. There's nothing wrong with white rice, but extra servings should be substituted for glasses of water.

Exercise. Every bit of exercise will help even if one works a desk job all day.

"Use the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator. Walk short distances instead of commute. Take walking breaks after sitting for 30-60 minutes at your desk. Enlist the company of a colleague to walk, run, play a sport, or sign up at the gym with you after work so you can motivate each other to stay the course," Dr. Las listed.

While cardio workouts burn fat, strength training shouldn't be discounted. Exercising with weights or resistance bands can burn calories even after workouts.

Lifestyle change. A key scientific factor in love handles is the body producing cortisol, the hormone that stores fat in the belly and triggers sweet and salty food.

Managing one's stress reduction cortisol production while sleeping for eight hours a night controls cortisol release. The latter also doesn't disrupt the appetite hormones leptin (which makes one feel full) and ghrelin (the hungry hormone).

As if it needs reminding, smoking should be stopped immediately as nicotine messes with the three hormones.

"Alcohol — especially if you consume a lot in one sitting — contains a lot of calories. When you take in a lot of alcohol, your liver prioritizes processing it instead of burning fat and carbohydrates. This leads to fat settling in the midsection," Dr. Las ended, explaining the origin of beer bellies.

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