If you have a spare tire around your midsection and you are obsessed with getting rid of it -- you are right to be. Stomach fat is the worst kind of fat, not because it is unsightly but because it poses a threat to your health. Researchers have found that stomach fat is an organ, complete with hormones, proteins and access to your vital innards
What is Stomach Fat?
Right under your skin lies subcutaneous fat. Its role once was to preserve fat accumulated during the summer months, so that in winter when food was sparse, people didn't starve. Subcutaneous fat is able to enter your blood stream. Underneath the subcutaneous fat lies a layer of muscles, and beneath that you have visceral fat, which is the kind of fat you need be concerned about. Dr. Pamela Peeke, author of "Body for Life For Women" and an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Maryland, says that visceral fat can affect the liver's ability to handle cholesterol, which in turn increases your risk of heart disease. In addition, visceral fat causes insulin to become less effective, which can increase your risk of diabetes.
Realistic Expectations
While stomach fat is unhealthy, you have to keep things in perspective. Richard Cotton, spokesman for the American Council on Exercise, says that a few millimeters of fat covering your stomach muscles are of no consequence. Even long-distance runners and people in excellent shape have a little bit of a spare tire. Those who do not are perhaps the 10 percent of the population who can trace their super-lean middle back to genetics. Another thing to remember is that you cannot eradicate fat cells. They shrink with diet and exercise, but they are ready to swell up again at the first cream puff.
Stomach Fat -- The Other Organ
Stomach fat cells, scientists discovered, produce hormones and proteins and interact with the rest of your body. They are like an active organ sending chemical signals to the rest of you and possibly making you more susceptible to diseases like cancer and heart attacks, according to Science Daily. Eighty proteins and 20 hormones have been discovered. According to the Mayo Clinic, some hormones produced in fat cells can promote insulin resistance, which puts you at risk for diabetes. Some hormones produce post-menopause estrogen, increasing the risk for breast cancer. The health effects of the majority of the hormones secreted by fat cells are still unknown.
Waist Measurement
With a normal weight, if your waist measures 35 inches or more -- some research shows 33 inches are already a problem -- it is an indicator of unhealthy abdominal fat, says the Mayo Clinic. To find out, place a measuring band around your middle at the height of your navel, and without sucking in your stomach, measure yourself.
Burn the Fat Away
Moderate-intensity cardio burns stomach fat, but you should perform it on a daily basis. The Mayo Clinic also recommends strength training and toning, as well as cutting saturated fat in favor of polyunsaturated fat, and avoiding simple carbohydrates like pasta and white bread.
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