Belly fat is bad news, and not just because you'd like to show off flatter abs at the beach. More and more research is suggesting that waist size is a bigger risk factor for serious diseases than your overall body fat percentage. The main culprit: Visceral fat, the kind that's found deep within your abdomen (as opposed to subcutaneous fat, which sits right under the skin).
Visceral fat, which surrounds your internal organs, is metabolically active, meaning it releases chemicals into your body that can cause oxidative damage, says cardiologist Holly S. Andersen, MD, director of education and outreach at New York Presbyterian Hospital's Heart Institute and medical adviser to the Women's Heart Alliance. Translation: Excess belly fatdamages organs and blood vessels so that it ups your risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, heart disease, diabetes, some cancers, and even dementia.
Okay, so you accept that a round middle is dangerous, but what can you do about it? Avoiding added sugars and processed carbs can go a long way, says Andersen. And everyone can benefit from eating a more Mediterranean-style diet, with its emphasis on fresh produce, whole grains, limited red meat, and healthy fats. Getting off the couch a little more regularly can't hurt, either. "Anything you can do to reduce your waistline, even if it's a quarter of an inch, can make you healthier," notes Andersen.
That said, some people seem to have a much harder time than others when it comes to whittling their middle—and it's not due to random bad luck. Here are a few scientific reasons why any weight you gain seems to go straight to your tummy—and stay there.
(Slim inches off your waist, butt, and thighs in just minutes a day with Flat Belly Barre!)
Sarah Klein is a Boston-based writer, editor, and personal trainer currently with LIVESTRONG.com, and previously of Health.com, Prevention magazine, and The Huffington Post. She’s the graduate of the Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute at New York University.
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