Dr. Salas-Whalen stressed that belly fat — both in men and in women — can be a sign of metabolic syndrome, which, she noted, along with PCOS, can put you at a higher risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when you have a cluster (at least three) of metabolic disorders such as high blood pressure, obesity, and high fasting glucose levels, according to the American Heart Association.
"Fat that accumulates in the belly usually accumulates on the liver," Dr. Salas-Whalen explained, so a doctor can actually identify what a fatty liver looks like. "There are also things that we can see in your blood that tell us that this belly fat is creating problems before you develop diabetes or anything like that," she said, such as elevated liver enzymes.
For more on diabetes and metabolic syndrome, check out diabetes.org and heart.org.