What is belly fat?
Understanding belly fat
Regardless of why we have our belly fat whether it is because we inherited it from our parents or we have an eating problem, we will always struggle with understanding belly fat. For some it comes from turning a certain age as a woman and for others it is eating too many unhealthy foods, but for most everyone the results are the same. But besides making us feel uncomfortable and look unsightly the extra belly fat is also very unhealthy when it is compared to other area’s of your body that have collected the fat. It not only can cause you to have cardiovascular disease but also diabetes and certain kinds of cancers. However, there is good news for your future because such issues like stubborn belly fat can be fought with a few lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.
In order for us to start understanding belly fat we understand how it starts and how we can fight it. First of all, for those women that get the extra fat from growing older it is because their metabolism tends to slow down and therefore does not burn off as much fat as it did when they were younger. But what makes it worse is it is not just the large area’s you can grab with your hands out front, it is the visceral fat that lies way inside your abdomen that covers all your vital organs that is a major health concern. This is because it has been linked to such issues as cardiovascular disease as well as diabetes to name a few. However, studies have shown that an increase in age does not usually affect your visceral fat directly.
Instead, research has pointed towards heredity issues for more visceral weight gain. Furthermore, along with where you come from they have found that hormones play an important role in your deep belly fat as well. And while that extra weight is uncomfortable, and makes you feel a bit unflattering, it has far worse concerns. For example, here are a few of the risks that your extra belly fat can bring to your life;
· Colorectal cancer
· Breast cancer
· Gallbladder problems
· High blood pressure
Furthermore, research has uncovered the truth about the fat cells in your abdominal area. What they found is that they do not stay dormant waiting for your metabolism to come by and burn them up, instead, they let of a cocktail of hormones and other substances that can very well affect many area’s of your health. For example, it has been found that some of the fat cells that your hormones make become insulin resistant causing type 2 diabetes. However, how can we tell if our extra cushions in the middle are in fact a health risk?
A good way to understanding belly fat and whether or not it is unhealthy is to compare your waist to hip ratios. In the past this method was fairly unheard of as BMI was the main medical choice. But recently science has shown us that this method is very unreliable especially after menopause. So to figure out your hip to waist ratio you will want to take a tape measure and put it around your midsection just covering your naval area. If you are a woman and the measurement you get is 35 inches of more than that is considered an unhealthy ratio. However, some believe that 33 inches and higher is enough to be cause for concern.