Fat is not just fat. Excess fatty tissue on the stomach is significantly unhealthier than on the hips, legs and bottom. Where the belly fat is located also determines how harmful it is to health. Especially the inner abdominal fat, called visceral fat, poses health risks.
What is visceral fat?
You can pinch subcutaneous fat on the outer abdomen. Visceral fat, on the other hand, sits in the abdominal cavity and accumulates around the internal organs. It has not yet been conclusively clarified scientifically why some people tend to put on visceral abdominal fat and others subcutaneous abdominal fat. The influencing variables include age, gender as well as hormonal and hereditary factors. Men in particular are prone to critical accumulations of fat in the abdomen.
Why is visceral fat dangerous?
Inner abdominal fat is particularly metabolically active. This means that it forms messenger substances that influence various processes in the body. Among other things, these trigger inflammatory processes, promote high blood pressure and encourage insulin resistance. The more belly fat, the greater the risk of:
- Cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, heart attack and stroke
- Metabolic diseases such as diabetes mellitus
When belly fat becomes dangerous
Only imaging methods can determine exactly what proportion of obese abdominal fat is subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. However, you can use a tape measure to measure your waist circumference and find out if you have too much belly fat. In men, a more than 94 centimetres waist circumference carries an increased possibility of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. For women, a waist circumference of 80 centimetres or more is associated with an increased health risk.
How to get rid of visceral fat
Excessive calorie intake is usually the reason for obesity and too much belly fat. Other factors can be diseases, genetic predisposition and psychological and social factors. If the cause is an unhealthy lifestyle, a change in diet combined with more exercise can help you get rid of the pounds on your stomach.
Simple tips to help you reduce belly fat
Avoid high-calorie drinks like soda and alcohol. Healthy thirst quenchers are water or unsweetened herbal and fruit teas like Ikaria lean belly juice. If you check https://geekshealth.com, you will find no Ikaria negative complaints from Geeks Health. Customers claim that this juice is 100% legit.
Watch your calorie intake. If you take in more calories than you expend, you gain weight.
Avoid high-sugar and high-fat snacks such as cake, candy bars and crisps.
Fill your plate with more vegetables and salad. Both are low in calories, high in fibre and satiate well.
Exercise regularly, preferably several times a week.