What is the omentum? What does it do? And, why should you care?

I'm just curious as to how many people do/don't know this one...because if you don't you definately should. Asked by Spatzie~Lover 55 months ago Similar questions: omentum care Health.

It may effect how Insulin and high levels of fat may cause type II diabetes "The omentum is the fat organ connected to your stomach that's only purpose is to catch and store fat. When the fat is stored in your stomach, your body has easy access to it. The fat then creates an inflammatory process that irritates your arteries and puts you at risk for blocked arteries".

oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/20061102... A new study will test how the removal of the omentum, a large source of internal belly fat, affects insulin sensitivity. The omentum is a blanket of internal abdominal fat that rests on top of the intestines and is attached to both the stomach and the small bowel. “The effect of the omentum on the liver is quite powerful,” Abumrad says.

“This is as effective in shutting down the liver’s production of insulin as insulin is, or as many of the drugs being used to treat type 2 diabetes. vanderbilt.edu/alumni/publications/brigh..." rel="nofollow">vanderbilt.edu/alumni/publications/brigh... Sources: vanderbilt.edu/alumni/publications/brigh..." rel="nofollow">vanderbilt.edu/alumni/publications/brigh... .

It is a fat containing "fold" that drapes over your intestines It’s difficult to explain but everybody has a lining that encases most of your abdominal organs (called the peritoneum). This lining has folds in it and within these folds there is fat, blood vessels and nerves. There are actually two omentums (or folds).

The one Oprah is referring to is called the greater omentum - it is attached to the front of your stomach and part of your colon. Like everyone, if you gain weight you will deposit more fat in places around your body, the omentum is no exception. If you lose weight, the fat within this fold or omentum will decrease.

Interestingly, the omentum serve a purpose - it’s referred to as "natures band-aid" and will help limit the spread of infection or bleeding inside the body, it can also help prevent perforations from things like appendicitis spreading throughout your body. Unfortunately, it is also an area where cancer can spread to (ovarian or colon). Probably more than you wanted to know.

The quick version is that this is a fatty fold that sits just under your abdominal wall and if you eat too much it gets big and contributes to your gut/tummy sticking out. By the way, you can’t "spot reduce" this. :-) Sources: experience .

I didn't know until I saw Dr. Oz on Oprah! Well, it’s a yellow fibrous sheet around the belly. When you are a normal weight, it is small.

When you are overweight, it is large. (according to Dr. Oz). Now, the more technical stuff in lay-man’s terms (with some future ideas on diet drugs): The omentum, the flabby thing located near the stomach, is the most important part of your body’s fat-delivery system.It stores fat for when you really need it -- like when famine season is approaching (i.e.

, never). There are receptors in the omentum that cause people to want to eat; back in famine time, these receptors made people chow on ants, worms, seeds -- anything that would help store extra fat for when food became scarce. Oddly, these same receptors in your brain sense marijuana, which is why you get the munchies when you smoke pot.

Bad things can happen when they become stimulated by stress: Not only does your omentum begin storing fat -- making you fatter -- it also instructs the liver to make more cholesterol, and it triggers your muscles to ignore the natural effects of insulin, which can cause diabetes. Researchers have found recently that some of us are genetically predisposed to having these receptors work against us, and scientists are currently working on new diet drugs that are rooted in the way illegal narcotics work. The good news?

It’s in the nature of the omentum to want to make itself disappear. If you eat well and exercise fairly consistently, you’ll lose as much as two inches of omental fat in one month. Sources: esquire.com/dont-miss/better-man-07/stom... .

Oh, when I first read that word... I was instantly transported to my sophomore year in high school - advanced anatomy & physiology! The joys of dissecting a RAT and learning about the greater and lesser omentum. So, I have heard about the omentum, and know that humans have it as well as rats!

Basically, it's a fatty membrane near the stomach, liver, and intestines and it stores fat (and also makes it easily available). You should care about this because eating the right diet can prevent you from gaining excess weight in this area. I won't go into specifics, but here's the one mentioned on Oprah's show.

Sources: my previous knowledge; oprah.com/health/yourbody/slide/20061102... CrystalOTMommy's Recommendations Fundamentals of Anatomy & Physiology (7th Edition) Amazon List Price: $166.67 Used from: $90.00 Average Customer Rating: 2.5 out of 5 (based on 5 reviews) Review of Medical Physiology Amazon List Price: $57.95 Used from: $27.14 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 23 reviews) Anatomy & Physiology Coloring Workbook: A Complete Study Guide (8th Edition) Amazon List Price: $47.00 Used from: $14.25 Average Customer Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (based on 12 reviews) .

There are two of these The omentum are two different components of the peritoneum: The lesser omentum is extremely thin, and is continuous with the two layers of peritoneum which cover respectively the antero-superior and postero-inferior surfaces of the stomach and first part of the duodenum. When these two layers reach the lesser curvature of the stomach and the upper border of the duodenum, they join together and ascend as a double fold to the porta hepatis. The greater omentum is the largest peritoneal fold.It consists of a double sheet of peritoneum, folded on itself so that it is made up of four layers.

The two layers which descend from the stomach and commencement of the duodenum pass in front of the small intestines, sometimes as low down as the pelvis; they then turn upon themselves, and ascend again as far as the transverse colon, where they separate and enclose that part of the intestine. Sources: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omentum .

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