Jeremy Clarkson shocked his fans last month after revealing that a heart scare left him “days from death.”
But new videos posted to Instagram this week to promote his Amazon Prime series Clarkson’s Farm have raised new concerns about the 64-year-old’s health.
The Grand Tour presenter, who was forced to have a stent fitted to relieve chest pain, sported a visible beer belly.
The dangers of having excess fat in the middle (known as abdominal obesity) include an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, liver disease and heart attacks.
Research has also shown that ‘dad bods’ and ‘muffin tops’ are a sign that a person is more likely to develop heart disease.
And in an American study, scientists found that people whose waists are larger than their hips may have twice the risk of suffering a fatal heart attack.
Participants who were otherwise thin but with abdominal obesity had a two-fold increased risk of suffering an adverse cardiac event compared to those with thin waists.
Study co-author and Mayo Clinic cardiology expert Dr. José Medina-Inojosa added: “People with a fat belly are more likely to have heart problems than people without a fat belly, even if they are obese according to BMI”.
New videos posted to Instagram this week to promote his Amazon Prime series, Clarkson’s Farm, have sparked fresh concern for the 64-year-old’s health.
The Grand Tour presenter, who was forced to have a stent placed to relieve chest pain, sported a visible beer belly.
«This body shape indicates a sedentary lifestyle, low muscle mass and excessive consumption of refined carbohydrates.
“The belly is usually the first place we deposit fat, so people classified as overweight by BMI but without a fat belly probably have more muscle, which is good for health.”
Another 2022 study also concluded that people with excess fat around the midsection of the body also had a higher risk of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The term is used for a variety of conditions caused by a buildup of fat in the liver that can damage the organ.
Having high levels of fat in the liver is also associated with an increased risk of serious health problems, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and kidney disease.
Exploring the best way to lose belly fat, scientists found that 150 minutes of physical activity a week was enough to reduce belly fat, without reducing fat from other areas of the body.
But experts have also long urged people to be careful when trying to get rid of excess belly fat.
One, the you-me diet (losing weight quickly only to gain it back) is linked to its own set of health problems. including hormonal imbalances and osteoporosis.
A 2022 US study also found that yo-yo dieting could increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes later in life, as repeated weight loss and gain worsens heart and kidney function.
Clarkson first revealed her concerns about her heart health in her Sunday Times column last month, admitting she underwent emergency surgery after she started feeling unwell while on holiday. In the photo, with his partner Lisa Hogan.
When he returned to his Cotswolds farm after his trip abroad, he said he became “wet”, felt “a tightness in (his) chest” and had “tingles” in his left arm.
Clarkson first revealed her concerns about her heart health in her Sunday Times column last month, admitting that she had undergone emergency surgery after he started feeling unwell while on vacation.
When he returned to his Cotswolds farm after his trip abroad, he said he became “cliff”, felt “a tightness in his chest” and had “tingles” in his left arm.
After seeking medical help, doctors told the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire host that a potentially fatal heart attack was “maybe” days away, and they inserted a stent to keep his arteries open.
He said the operation lasted about two hours and “at one point I felt as if I had put a Hoover pipe in my arm, along with a pile driver, and was busy inside my heart with a B&Q hammer and chisel gift set.”
Earlier this year, alarming data revealed that premature deaths from cardiovascular problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, had reached their highest level in more than a decade.
MailOnline has previously highlighted how the number of young people in England being treated for heart attacks by the NHS is increasing.
While some warning signs are easy to spot, such as severe chest pain, others are more vague and difficult to identify.
After seeking medical help, doctors told the Who Wants to Be a Millionaire host that a potentially fatal heart attack was “maybe” days away, and they inserted a stent to keep his arteries open.
Cases of heart attacks, heart failure and stroke among those under 75 have decreased since the 1960s.
This is due to falling smoking rates and advances such as stents and cholesterol-lowering drugs called statins.
However, in January, the British Heart Foundation warned that rates were rising again and had reached their highest level in 14 years.
The latest figures show that in 2022, more than 39,000 people in England will die prematurely from cardiovascular diseases, including heart attacks and strokes, an average of 750 people each week.
Increase in obesity rates, sPoor ambulance response times to suspected heart attacks and strokes, and long waits for tests and treatments, have been blamed.