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Abdominal Fat is Bad for Your Health
The
presence of fat in the abdomen proves to be a very serious and unhealthy
situation, it has been found through research that abdominal fat plays a
major role on the overall health of the body and its presence can lead
to many chronic and even fatal diseases. Abdominal fat does not refer to
the typical tummy fat everyone has. Everyone has some stomach fat to
cushion their organs, as a source of backup fuel and to maintain your
body temperature internally. It is the type and the location of the
abdominal fat that has to be taken into consideration in order to tell
if it leads to bad health.
The
subcutaneous and visceral fat constitutes abdominal fat. The extra fat
that we see and pinch is the subcutaneous fat while visceral fat is the
fat that provides protection to the soft organs found in the abdomen.
Both look similar, with the same consistency and color, however, they
function differently. Subcutaneous fat is passive and is mainly a fat
storage repository. However, the visceral fat is active as it acts as a
gland itself, this form of fat can break down and release fatty acids
which the liver metabolizes to produce bad health. This liver metabolism
leads to increased blood sugar and insulin levels and increased
inflammation that can lead to diabetes and some types of cancer and
stroke. Moreover, though visceral fat is found in the abdomen, it can
cause damage in other parts of the body, other than the belly. No other
fat can do this; and this is the reason abdominal fat has to be kept
under control. Without any control, you find a belly full of fat with
little pinchable fat on the surface.
There are
many reasons for a person to develop a pot belly. It is based on the
genetics of a person, hormones, stress and food habits. The body
tendency of some people tends to deposit more fat in the abdominal
region and this leads to those pot bellies or beer bellies; modern junk
food which is fatty and unhealthy is a main contributor to pot bellies.
It is often said that a pot belly is a beer belly which grows with the
increased consumption of alcohol. However, research has proven that
there is not much difference in a person drinking alcohol and one not
drinking alcohol to develop a paunch.
Stress is
also an evil for many diseases, and abdominal fat is one of them. Women
tend to develop a paunch after menopause when there is a reduction in
the female hormone estrogen, in the body. Whatever the reason is, as
abdominal fat is very bad for health, it is better to adapt some
lifestyle changes to tackle the problem of abdominal fat. It is quite
difficult to attempt to reduce abdominal fat through spot remedies like
crunches and crash diets. This is because though crunches may tone your
back and abdominal muscles, it does not affect abdominal fat. To reduce
abdominal fat, your overall body fat has to be reduced.
Crash diets
are also not advisable as they only make your body metabolism starve
wherein the resting metabolic rate is reduced. Instead, it is better to
follow a healthy diet with a moderate lifestyle. Perform daily exercise
to see results and a diminishing waist line. Though visceral fat is bad
for health, it is basically the first type of fat that burns with
exercise. This is because this fat is metabolically active, and this
works in your favor when you decide to get rid of fat. You don't have to
lose lots of weight; a loss of just 2 inches from the waistline produces
lots of benefits to you and can in the process, decrease the risk of you
contracting numerous illnesses and diseases. So why not get down to
reducing that abdominal fat that is so bad for you and your body!
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