Why Is Belly Fat Bad?

Around 68 percent of Americans were overweight or obese in 2007/2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Determination of overweight or obesity is generally made through an assessment of body mass index (BMI), which compares weight to height. However, not all fat is created equal. Belly fat is an important indicator of health, even with a normal BMI.

Fat Location

The terms "apple" and "pear" refer to the body sites where excess weight is carried. Apple-shaped people carry more of their excess weight in their bellies, or abdomens, whereas pear-shaped people carry more weight in the hips and buttocks. The proverbial "beer belly" is an example of abdominal obesity. Historically, men have tended to carry more weight in the belly than women, though postmenopausal women may also have more abdominal fat, according to a study published in the April 1994 "International Journal of Obesity and Related Metabolic Disorders."

Significance

Where you carry your excess fat affects more than how you fill out a shirt. Abdominal fat is correlated with increased incidence of heart disease, high blood pressure, unhealthy blood lipid levels, insulin resistance and ensuing diabetes, notes the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Recent studies suggest that obesity--abdominal obesity in particular--causes a generalized state of chronic inflammation, which sets off a cascade of reactions. Over time, this chronic inflammation causes damage, according to a study published in the February, 2008 "Current Hypertension Reports."

Waist Measurement

The best way to determine body shape is to measure the waist. To get an accurate waist measurement, wrap a tape measure around your waist, just above the hip bone. Make sure the tape measure is parallel to the floor and wraps across your belly button. Pull the tape snug, but not so tight that it compresses your skin. Exhale and measure--do not suck in your stomach.

Considerations

A general guideline is that, for men, a waist measurement of 40 inches (102 cm) is considered to raise risk for heart disease and other obesity-related diseases. For women, a waist measurement of over 35 inches (88 cm) is cause for concern. Most alarming is a study suggesting that you don't have to look overweight to have too much belly fat. A study published in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" in April, 2008, reported that a high waist circumference is associated with a 25 percent increase in mortality even after controlling for BMI.

Prevention/Solution

Unfortunately, fat distribution is largely a function of genetics. Although you can tighten abdominal muscles through abdominal exercise, there is no way to specifically reduce belly fat other than through overall weight loss by diet and exercise. Even then, weight will disappear from certain places first and at this point in time, this is no way to affect that.