Your propensity to develop belly fat can be inherited, and it definitely increases with age, but if you're overweight and your midriff is bulging, it's time to start watching your diet and getting more exercise. You should be concerned about belly fat not just for reasons of appearance and wardrobe, MayoClinic.com warns, but because it puts you at risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some forms of cancer.
Dangers of Belly Fat
MayoClinic.com identifies two distinct types of belly fat. The subcutaneous variety just under the skin is the most noticeable, but it isn't as dangerous as the deeper, visceral fat deep inside your abdomen. The visceral fat produces hormones that affect your blood pressure, changes your cholesterol levels, alters your blood-sugar levels by interfering with your body's ability to use insulin and, if you're a woman, boosts your estrogen levels. All these can lead to health problems, even if your overall weight is considered normal. Women with a waistline exceeding 35 inches, and men with one exceeding 40 inches, are likely to have too much belly fat.
Causes of Belly Fat
Eating a high-fat, high-calorie diet and failing to get enough exercise are the two primary reasons for the accumulation of belly fat, but age as well as genetic and psychological factors may also be involved. If you're feeling anxious, depressed or under stress, you're more likely to reach for a high-calorie snack even when you're not hungry. This type of overeating affects you more as you get older, because your muscle mass decreases relative to your overall weight. If you don't get enough exercise, your body stores the calories as fat instead of using them to energize your active muscles.
The Importance of Diet
The basic rule for weight loss is the same regardless of whether you want to lose it just from your waist or from your whole body -- you have to reduce your calorie intake to a point at which it is lower than the energy you expend. If you eat to alleviate stress or deal with emotional issues, and find it hard to go on a diet, try substituting foods with a lower energy density, such as fruits, vegetables and lean meat, for the cookies, crackers and bacon you normally reach for to comfort yourself.
Getting Enough Exercise
You need to burn calories if you want to lose weight, even if the weight is localized around your midriff. Running, swimming or other exercises that make you sweat and your heart beat faster are preferable to doing situps or weight routines in the hopes of tightening your abdominal muscles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend a weekly program of aerobic exercises, like running or walking, coupled with muscle-strengthening exercises like weightlifting to maintain optimum health. To get the benefits of aerobic exercises, which include losing weight, each session should be longer than 10 minutes; the CDC suggests at least 150 minutes of such exercise each week for healthy adults.
Member Comments