Human Spare Tires... Spare tires, according to the U.S. National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (CDC), are responsible for more than 300,000 premature deaths each year in the United States. Reducing the prevalence of these dangerous objects is not, as researchers have found, an easy task. Central obesity (referred to, in slang, as a human spare tire) refers to the buildup of adipose storage inside and surrounding the abdominal region of the body. This excess fat, in many cases, changes body shape and increases risks for associated chronic diseases.