"Lose that belly fat."
It's a phrase you've probably read or heard countless times in fitness magazines or nutrition supplement ads. But why this fixation on belly fat?
It's not just about appearance. There's an even more compelling reason to trim your waist: health and longevity. It turns out the fat that accumulates in your belly and around your internal organs is the most dangerous type of body fat.
Location matters
A body's two most common fat-storage areas are:
- Hips, thighs and buttocks. This creates a pear body shape. Fat storage here generally occurs just under the skin.
- Belly. Some of the fat in your belly may occur just under the skin. But belly fat also can be stored deep within your abdomen, surrounding your internal organs. This type of fat is called visceral fat and is related to an apple body shape.
Too much visceral fat, even in people with a healthy body mass index (BMI), is strongly linked to elevated blood sugar, high blood pressure and cholesterol, fatty liver and inflammation.
These factors can lead to heart disease, liver disease, diabetes and cancer, and increase your risk of premature death. In contrast, fat stored just under your skin, like in your hips, thighs and buttocks, isn't as damaging — even if it causes you to be categorized as obese on the BMI scale.
An easy measurement
Measuring the distance around your waist is an easy way to assess your belly fat. Here's how:
While standing up, use a flexible measuring tape and measure around your abdomen, just above your hipbones. Pull the tape measure until it's snug but doesn't press into your skin. Make sure the tape measure is level all the way around.
One study found that risk of death increased as waist size increased. In addition, this research found that:
- Men with a 43-inch (109-centimeter) waist had a 52 percent greater risk of death over nine years than did men with a 35-inch (89-centimeter) waist.
- Women with a 37.5-inch (95-centimeter) waist had an 80 percent greater risk of death over nine years than did women with a 27.5-inch (70-centimeter) waist.
Slimming down
A healthy diet is a cornerstone of losing excess body fat. Be sure to:
- Watch your portions. Be aware of how much you eat.
- Eat nutritious plant foods like vegetables, whole grains, fruits and nuts. Lean sources of protein like fish and low-fat dairy products are important, too.
- Limit or avoid high-calorie drinks like soda and alcoholic beverages. Instead, drink water, unsweetened coffee or tea, or other unsweetened beverages.
Physical activity also can help reduce belly fat and offset the health risks it causes. Exercise doesn't always directly help with weight loss. But it does help improve your health by increasing muscle mass and fat loss when combined with healthier eating and calorie control.
Try to do at least 30 to 60 minutes of moderately intense exercise every day. For best results, mix cardiovascular exercise (like walking or swimming) with muscle strengthening (like resistance training or balance exercises).