Abdominal fat is a serious problem. It’s more than just an aesthetic issue, it also increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes.
Belly fat is the most dangerous kind of body fat because it’s linked to so many health problems, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
In this blog post, we will discuss the different types of abdominal fat, what risk factors it has, and how to lose stomach fat.
The Different Types of Belly Fat
Abdominal obesity can develop from two different sources: visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). VAT cannot be seen by looking at someone’s stomach but it can be felt. SAT is the fat that you can see and feel in your stomach.
Visceral adipose tissue (VAT)
This type of belly fat surrounds vital organs such as the liver, intestines, pancreas, and kidneys which may lead to many serious diseases including heart disease.
Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT)
This type of abdominal fat is found under skin folds on a person’s abdomen or around their love handles which leads to health risks such as diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and cardiovascular disease.
Visceral fat is the more dangerous type, which can go deep into abdominal organs such as the liver or kidneys. It’s also associated with a HIGHER RISK for heart disease and diabetes.
Subcutaneous fat lies just below your skin, but it might be taking up too much space in some areas because you have more than one layer underneath the surface of your skin.
It’s possible to have one type without having the other; for example, some people may have plenty of subcutaneous stomach weight but no sign of excess visceral fat.
Pear Shape Vs. Apple Shape
You might have heard these two different shape types and wondered what they mean. The apple shape has a more pronounced stomach with fat that accumulates in the back of the body, while pear shapes are typically smaller around the waist but have bigger hips.
The Apple Shape:
– Increased risk for heart disease
– Difficulty losing weight due to increased belly size (excess abdominal fat)
– Risk of cancer increases by 59%
The Pear Shape:
– Higher chance of having insulin resistance or diabetes if you’re overweight or obese which will increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and chronic kidney diseases
– Decreased muscle mass resulting in decreased metabolic rate leading to difficulty maintaining a healthy weight over time
– Greater incidence of health problems like arthritis or osteoporosis
Storing fat around your abs can steal life from you
The storage of fat around our stomach area can be a dangerous and life-threatening issue. Belly fat has been linked to many diseases and health risks, such as cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, colon cancer risk, and sleep apnea.
Cardiovascular disease:
The abdominal cavity is where the heart rests on a bed of pericardium that can restrict blood flow back to your heart when carrying excess weight.
This restriction in blood flow could cause enlargement or increase the workload for your heart which can lead to higher chances of stroke due to clots breaking off from plaque buildup.
High Cholesterol Levels:
Abdominal fat produces more hormones called cortisol which promotes inflammation over time leading up the increased risk for developing type II diabetes.
Diabetes:
Those with higher amounts of belly fat have a lower density of cells that produce insulin which controls blood sugar levels. The result is higher amounts of glucose in the bloodstream, increased thirst and urination, weight loss despite an appetite for food.
Colon Cancer Risk:
Belly fat deposits have been linked to developing a larger waist circumference (measured as more than 102 cm or 40 inches)
Sleep Apnea:
Those with abdominal fat are at risk due to their decreased lung capacity. Less oxygen means less energy needed by other parts of your body such as muscles regulating sleep patterns.
Breathing problems can also lead to irregular heart rates and strokes when not enough air reaches the brain stem.
The EPIC Study
The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) conducted a study about the association of obesity and abdominal fat to heart disease.
The EPIC study looked at data from over half a million people, tracking their weight, lifestyle habits, family history, and other factors for nearly two decades.
They found that an “apple shape” with larger waist measurements is more dangerous than the “pear shape” associated with large hips but also flabby thigh areas because it has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular diseases such as coronary artery disease or stroke.
Men in this category are TWICE as likely to die prematurely than men who have smaller waists (34 inches) regardless of how much they weigh. Women’s risks rise by 50 percent if they wear size 34 clothes or larger when compared with women who wear size 24 or less.
The data also showed that abdominal fat has different properties than other types of body fat, storing more inflammatory proteins and hormones that can lead to diabetes or heart disease.
More importantly, it is not just how much belly fat you have but where it accumulates on your body – deep within the midriff rather than nearer to the skin’s surface – which influences health risks.
People with high levels of visceral abdominal fat are at increased risk for metabolic syndrome (the medical term for a combination of obesity, hypertension, and type II diabetes).
Finally, people who carry their excess weight around their middle may face additional health issues such as breathing difficulties from sleep apnea.
How to lower your risk
Now that you have a better understanding of the dangers of abdominal fat it’s time to educate you on ways to lower the risk.
The Best Way to Lose Belly Fat
Staying active to lower belly fat is simply a numbers game. The more you move the better chance of lowering your risk for abdominal fat.
Take Control with Diet and Exercise
Create an eating plan that is right for you, don’t forget to include exercise when it comes to dieting because they both work together in reducing belly fat.
Make sure not to skip meals or overeat, as this may lead to weight gain which will worsen any existing issues with abdominal fat. Remember a healthy living lifestyle takes time!
Tips on Balanced Diets
Start your day with a healthy and filling breakfast!
Drink water throughout the day.
Incorporate fruits, vegetables, and whole grains into every meal.
Eat lean proteins like chicken, fish, turkey breast, or beans for protein-rich foods. Limit red meat to one serving per week if any at all.
Avoid sugary drinks; instead, drink plenty of water. Alcoholic beverages should be limited as well due to their high calories and sugar content.
The average person needs about 1200-1500 calories per day but this number can vary depending on age, gender or physical activity levels so consult your doctor before trying any new eating plan that may result in weight loss. Exercise is also needed when it comes to dieting because otherwise, the fat will just come back.
It’s important to drink water because it can help with weight loss and keep you healthy by preventing constipation, bloating, or kidney failure.
Eat slowly which allows your body time for digestion as well as helps prevent overeating.
Tips on Staying Active
Get out of your chair at work and take a break every hour.
Take the stairs instead of elevators or escalators when possible.
Walk to coworker’s desks for meetings instead of meeting around the coffee machine.
Park in spots furthest away from stores to encourage walking for shorter distances.
Encourage coworkers, friends, and family members to join you on walks outside if it is an option where you live! Find that motivation you need.
When you’ve read the entire blog post, it should be clear to you how abdominal fat can lead to serious health problems. One of the most important things that you need to do is identify your risk factors and take steps now so that this doesn’t happen in the future.
It’s not too late! You don’t have to live with these risks because we’ve outlined a guide for understanding what they are and some tips on avoiding them at all costs.
What do you think? Did this article give you the information you needed?
