Love handles. Spare Tires. Muffin tops. Buddha bellies. Sure, we downplay big bellies with cute nicknames but let’s get serious. We need to call excess belly fat what it really is: Nature’s Warning Zone.
Visceral Fat vs. Subcutaneous Fat
We’re all familiar with subcutaneous fat. It’s the fat our bodies deposit under our skin. While subcutaneous fat can be unpleasant to look at, it’s simply not as dangerous as visceral fat.
Visceral or “intra-abdominal” fat surrounds your organs. Excess amounts of visceral fat can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and certain types of cancers. Even worse than that, researchers are trying to prove that visceral fat contains a lot more inflammatory molecules than other types of fat. Chronic inflammation is linked to diabetes, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease and cancer.
Keep it Simple
The easiest way to gauge a person’s overall health risk is with a tape measure. 
According to Robert Ross, an exercise physiologist at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, every doctor should carry a tape measure around their neck—just like they do their stethoscope. This one simple measurement, which is quick and easy, will let you know if your health is at risk. The following waist measurements put you at the greatest risk for developing health problems:
- Men: Greater than 40 inches
- Women: Greater than 35 inches
Because of the simplicity of the test, you can take this measurement in the privacy of your own home. If your waist measurement put you in the danger zone, please seek immediate medical attention. And if you measure a few inches below these numbers, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are free of risk. Know your measurement and talk to your doctor.
What To Do
The easiest way to reduce visceral fat is to start walking. Brisk walking, (30-60 minutes per day, 4-5 days per week) has been shown to greatly reduce this dangerous fat surrounding your organs. It appears that visceral fat is the first kind you lose when you start an exercise program. This may explain why you don’t see a difference in the mirror but your clothes fit better—even if there isn’t much change on the scale.
Cutting back on excess sweets and saturated fats, and reducing portion sizes will certainly help speed up your fat loss.
But activity is the key. So start moving and keep going. Your waistline, your overall health and your family will thank you.
Walk & Be Healthy,
Molly
Originally Published in the GO! Newsletter (GlobalFit)
http://www.globalfit.com/
My hubby and I are lucky to be able to walk the beach. We do stop to look for shark’s teeth. Hopefully the bending over helps the waist, too!
Walking on the beach is GREAT and finding shark teeth is even better! Happy Hunting!
I remember the day I had to bribe Molly with “if you walk briskly one way on the beach I will walk slowly back while you search for shark’s teeth”. It was a great compromise and I can’t wait to do it again.
Dr Servan-Schreiber states that visceral fat is the second leading cause of cancer – second to smoking. Something a lot of people are unaware of.
Life is full of compromises! Thanks Vicki…for sharing the good information on visceral fat and for taking long and short, fast and slow, walks with me on the beach!