LOSE YOUR TUMMY FAT

For many of us, the number on our bathroom scale makes or breaks our day. But it turns out that what you weigh isn’t nearly as crucial as where that weight is.

Two Types Of Tummy Fat

Whenever experts speak about tummy fat, it is significant to know that there are in fact two different types: subcutaneous and visceral.

Subcutaneous is best defined as the fat that you can see, the “inch you can pinch.”

Visceral fat (which refers to the internal organs in the abdomen) resides deep within the body, wrapping itself around your heart, liver, and other major organs.

What Causes Tummy Fat

The appearance of a pot belly involves many factors, such as hormones, genes, eating habits, physical activity patterns and stress.

Hormones: Testosterone predisposes men to accumulate fat around their belly, while the female hormone oestrogen causes fat to be stored about the hips, butt and thighs.

Genetics: Each person is genetically programmed to store fat in differing proportions about the body.

Eating habits: Diets high in energy-dense foods and fat are more likely to promote visceral fat. And, as oestrogen levels reduce during and after menopause, women also begin to store fat around their belly.

Physical activity: Being physically active helps to reduce the amount of total body fat we carry (which includes visceral fat in the tummy area). And the more exercise we do, the more overall fat we’ll lose.

Stress: When exposed to chronic tension, the body is literally bathed in a flood of the stress hormone called cortisol. Excess amounts of cortisol increase the likelihood of storing fat around the middle.

Why Tummy Fat Is So Unhealthy

Too much tummy fat increases your risk of:

Heart disease

High blood pressure

Diabetes

Breast cancer

Colorectal cancer

Metabolic syndrome

Gallbladder problems

One of the main reasons visceral fat is so unhealthy is because of its role in inflammation, a natural immune response that has lately been tied to nearly every chronic illness there is.

Your Waist Measurement

When determining abdominal obesity, it is the circumference of your waist, rather than your weight, that’s the critical measurement.

Measure around your waist with a tape measure at the level of your belly button.

If your are a woman and that measurement is greater than 35 inches, or if you’re a man and it is greater than 40 inches, there’s a very good chance that you have abdominal obesity.

Conclusion

The most proven method of losing weight is a combination of eating healthy, natural foods and exercise. The good news is that almost anybody can lose that unsightly bulge. If you would like to read more about how to lose your tummy fat, I suggest you go to my article: How To Lose Your Tummy Fat.

Your friend,

Janet Esther

Resources For This Article:

Lisa Turner. Natural Solutions Magazine. June 2008.

www.idiotproofdietprogram.com

Mayo Clinic Staff. www.mayoclinic.com

Tracy Hanify. www.healthyfood.co.nz

Suggested Reading:

What Calories Mean To You

Why Nutrition Matters

Carol Ann Rinzler. Nutrition For Dummies 4th Edition. Indianapolis, Indiana: Wiley Publishing, Inc., 2006.