The Dangers Of Belly Fat

In certain cultures you rub a Buddha's big belly for good luck. But if you're someone who has a lot of belly fat, you could be running out of luck. Research continues to mount showing that belly blubber increases our chances of developing heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes, even cancer.

Researchers with the European Perspective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) followed about 360,000 Europeans enrolled in one of the largest, longest (ten years) health studies in the world. They found that people with the most belly fat had about double the risk of dying prematurely as people with the least amount of belly fat. And death risk increased with waist circumference, whether the participants were overweight or not.

But don't be confused and cut out all fat from your diet because the culprit isn't fat, per say. We all need some fatty tissue in our bodies. It stores energy, regulates hormone function, helps us absorb vitamins and minerals, and provides us with built-in insulation. In fact, 20% to 35% of our daily calories should come from fat. But too much of a good thing – especially if it comes from saturated and trans-fats -- is dangerous. It's especially risky to our health if it settles in your stomach.

Diet and Exercise Tips for Weight Loss

Why is stomach fat worse, than let's say, thigh fat?  Well, there are two kinds of fat: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is that fat you can see and grab onto - beer bellies, spare tires, pouches, and love handles. It's the fat that makes a person look fat. It doesn't look great, but it's not so risky. Then there's visceral fat, that's the kind of fat that hides inside. Visceral fat is the fat that surrounds the abdominal organs and it's even more insidious because it's so hard to detect, and because it is also affected by genetics in addition to an unhealthy diet and physical inactivity.

How do you know if you're walking around with visceral tummy fat? Researchers use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), where a magnetic field and energy pulses are used to create an image of the inside of the belly. 

But you don't need fancy equipment to figure out if your belly fat is a health factor. Do it yourself by measuring your waist-to-hip ratio. Apple-shaped people - those who carry more of their weight around their waist - are more likely to be storing up visceral fat. Another way is to feel your belly: is it flabby or firm? If it's firm, you may have visceral fat. But visceral fat is not just a burden of the obese and the beer-bellied. Here's the Catch-22: A thin person can have too much visceral fat and be at as great of a health risk as someone twice their weight. Here's what you can do:

Weight Loss Tips For Everyone

Four Ways to Conquer Belly Fat

1.Keep track of your waist-to-hip ratio as well as your body mass index (BMI). Make a note on your calendar to measure your waist and hips every other month or so. If measurements reveal that your waist is wider than your hips, take it as an urgent message to try to lose some of your belly weight. Women: watch out if your waist expands beyond 35 inches. If your waist size falls into the danger zone and your BMI is 25 or more, you're at risk of heart disease.

2. If 20% to 35% of your daily calories should come from fat, make most of it the good kind of fat - either mono- or polyunsaturated fats. Tasty foods with healthy fats include salmon, avocados, olives, and walnuts. Cook with vegetable oils, like canola, olive, or sunflower oil. Avoid foods high in saturated fats and carbohydrates.

3. Routine, moderate exercise helps to fend off the fat, and more strenuous activity burns off existing fat. The good news about visceral fat is that it's the first fat to go once you start shedding pounds. Go for fat-burning cardiovascular exercise as well as moves that firm up and strengthen the abdominal area. Check-in with your doctor before starting any vigorous exercise program.

4.And take a test. If you're worried about your risks, your doctor can track visceral fat by the tape measure or with an MRI or a blood test that measures the presence of a protein called retinol binding protein 4 (RBP 4) in the blood -- an indicator of potential health problems like heart disease and diabetes.

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