Forget muffin tops and thunder thighs \u2014 weight gain starts somewhere you wouldn\u2019t expect.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you have too many calories and you overflow your fuel tank, the first fat that grows is inside your body, you can\u2019t see it,\u201d Dr. William Li, a physician and food scientist, said on a recent episode of \u201cThe Mel Robbins Podcast<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n Where it starts to build up first might surprise you \u2014 and for some, it\u2019s enough to cause trouble in the bedroom.<\/p>\n Dr. William Li appeared in an August 21 episode of \u201cThe Mel Robbins Podcast.\u201d TikTok\/melrobbins<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you gain weight and start to grow extra body fat, one of the first places that it grows is in the back of your tongue,\u201d Li said. <\/p>\n Unlike the flexible tip or the strong, muscular middle, the base of the tongue acts like a \u201cbig fat pillow,\u201d he explained, helping chewed food slide down into the stomach.<\/p>\n But this area is also a prime target for visceral fat \u2014 the hidden kind that builds deep inside the body. Unlike subcutaneous fat, which sits just under the skin, this tongue fat is nearly impossible to spot with the naked eye. <\/p>\n Still, Li said there\u2019s a major red flag that could signal your tongue is packing on fat.<\/p>\n \u201cThe telltale sign is snoring or being startled when you\u2019re sleeping,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n As you sleep, your tongue naturally relaxes \u2014 and if it\u2019s carrying extra fat, it can start to block your airway.<\/p>\n \u201cYou wake up and you snort or you start to store,\u201d Li said. \u201cThis is what your bed partner notices.\u201d<\/p>\n You might spot weight gain in your stomach, thighs or rear \u2014 but it usually starts deep beneath the surface. andriano_cz \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Science backs it up. Studies have found<\/a> obese people with obstructive sleep apnea \u2014 a dangerous disorder that disrupts breathing during sleep \u2014 have significantly more tongue fat than those without it, especially at the back of the tongue.<\/p>\n That could help explain why obesity is considered a top risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea, which affects about 30 million Americans, according to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine<\/a>.<\/p>\n And while it might sound harmless, the condition is no joke. Left untreated, it can lead to serious health consequences, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, depression, cognitive decline and even death. <\/p>\n @melrobbins<\/a> <\/p>\n I couldn\u2019t believe Dr. William Li told me THIS is where you start gaining fat first\u2026 It doesn\u2019t start with your belly or your thighs\u2026 It starts with your tongue. \ud83e\udd14 Yes, you read that right. Dr. Li is a world-renowned physician, scientist, and bestselling author with 30+ years of research on metabolism and health that has impacted millions of people. This episode of The Mel Robbins Podcast will completely change the way you think about weight, metabolism, and your health. Dropping Thursday, August 21st! \ud83c\udfa7 \u201cDo THIS to Boost Your Metabolism, Lose Fat, & Feel Better Now With Dr. William Li.\u201d #melrobbins<\/a> #melrobbinspodcast<\/a> #weightgain<\/a> #fatloss<\/a><\/p>\n \u266c original sound \u2013 Mel Robbins<\/a> <\/p>\n But there\u2019s hope. In a 2020 study<\/a>, researchers used MRI scans to examine how weight loss affected the airways of 67 obese patients who dropped just 10% of their body weight through diet or surgery.<\/p>\n Their sleep apnea scores improved by 31%, and the images showed that their slimmer tongues were the primary reason. <\/p>\n \u201cIn fact, the more tongue fat you lost, the more your apnea improved,\u201d Richard Schwab, co-director of the Penn Sleep Center at Penn Medicine and lead author of the study, told CNN<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Visceral fat buildup typically targets the back of the tongue, Li explained. vladimirfloyd \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n Schwab and his colleagues believe that reducing tongue fat through weight loss could be a promising new way to treat sleep apnea.<\/p>\n \u201cMost clinicians, and even experts in the sleep apnea world, have not typically focused on fat in the tongue for treating sleep apnea,\u201d he said in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cNow that we know tongue fat is a risk factor and that sleep apnea improves when tongue fat is reduced, we have established a unique therapeutic target that we\u2019ve never had before,\u201d Schwab added.<\/p>\n Even if you don\u2019t have full-blown sleep apnea, Li says new snoring or snorting during sleep can be an early warning sign of dangerous fat buildup \u2014 long before it shows on the scale or in the mirror.<\/p>\n Catching it early is crucial, since research suggests that preventing obesity is often easier and more effective than trying to reverse it later.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a big deal, because America\u2019s obesity epidemic is only expected to get worse. Right now, more than 2 in 5 US adults<\/a> are obese, along with roughly 1 in 5 kids and teens<\/a>, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t