Getting rid of visceral fat can improve overall health and reduce the risk of serious disease, but many dieters struggle with reducing this harmful type of hidden abdominal fat. Promises and claims by various low carb diet plans, including the South Beach Diet, state that this type of diet can specifically target belly fat, but dieters may be confused as to whether or not the evidence supports the claims.
Visceral Fat
Visceral fat occurs deep inside the abdomen, where it wraps around the abdominal organs. People with a lot of visceral fat are at higher risk for cardiovascular disease, cancer, gallbladder problems, high blood pressure and diabetes. While most people with surface belly fat also have a lot of visceral fat, the two are not the same. Surface belly fat sits just under the skin and doesn't raise the risk of disease like visceral fat does. However, surface belly fat is often a marker that indicates the presence of visceral fat underneath.
South Beach Diet
The South Beach Diet, created by Dr Arthur Agatston, operates under the idea that carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, a measure of blood glucose response to food, should be avoided. Defined as a modified low-carbohydrate diet, the South Beach Diet limits carbohydrates to between 10 and 28 percent of your daily calories, depending on which phase of the diet you are following. One of the claims of the diet is that dieters in the first phase of the plan should notice a significant decrease in belly fat.
Low-Carb Effect
In a study published in the September 2004 issue of the journal "Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice," obese diabetic dieters experienced a greater decrease in visceral fat on a low carbohydrate, low calorie diet than dieters on a low calorie, high carbohydrate diet. The low carbohydrate diet also resulted in overall weight loss and an improved blood glucose response. While the results need to be repeated in other populations before generalizations can be made, the study does indicate that reduced-carbohydrate diets such as the South Beach Diet might be beneficial to some people who want to get rid of visceral fat.
Considerations
In addition to a low carbohydrate diet such as the South Beach Diet, While there is no way to specifically target visceral fat through exercise, an exercise program that includes cardiovascular activity and strength training might help reduce fat all over the body including visceral fat. Abdominal exercises can help firm up your middle, but won't actually reduce the amount of visceral fat deep below the surface.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Belly Fat in Women; April 16, 2009
- The South Beach Diet
- "Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice"; Beneficial Effect of Low Carbohydrate in Low Calorie Diets on Visceral Fat Reductionin Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Obesity; Mayashita, et al.; Sept 2004.
- MayoClinic.com; South Beach Diet; April 18, 2009
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