A new US study has revealed that excess belly fat is associated with an increased risk of premature death from any cause, regardless of the amount of total body fat.And according to what Al cnnIn women, every 10 cm increase in belly fat increases the risk of dying of any cause by 8%. For men, every 10 cm increase in height increases the risk by 12%..
These results are the result of an analysis of 72 studies involving more than 2.5 million participants studied from three to 24 years old. All studies explored different measures of weight around the middle of the body, and it has long been thought to be an important risk factor for metabolic resistance, which is a precursor to diabetes, heart disease and more..
The researchers said: “Our results indicate that central obesity (lipid) measures can be used as a complementary approach, in combination with BMI, to determine the risk of premature death.“.
Most weight measurements focus on BMI or BMI, which takes your weight in kilograms and divides it by the square of your height in meters. (There are online tools you can use to calculate your BMI).
If your BMI is less than 18.5, you are considered underweight. Your weight is considered normal if your BMI falls between 18.5 and 24.9. You are considered obese when your BMI is between 25 and 29.9 – over 30 indicates that you are obese.
But experts point out that BMI does not differentiate between lean body mass and fat mass, nor does it give an indication of where the fat is located. This is a problem because the existing evidence suggests that more fat around the midsection – and belly fat known as “beer stomachs” in men and belly fat in women – is associated more with chronic disease than with the general classification of obesity..
And about the reason for the risk of fat around the middle, a lot of belly fat indicates the accumulation of a unique type of fat, called visceral fat, around various internal organs, such as the liver, pancreas and intestine.
Visceral fat is called “active fat” because it affects hormone function by secreting a protein that increases insulin resistance, making us vulnerable to type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, excess cholesterol, heart disease, some types of cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.. .
Visceral fat is different from the soluble fat we see in the arms, legs, and thighs and the “love handles” on the hips. This is called subcutaneous fat, which does not affect hormones.
Besides eating a lot of food and little exercise, why does belly fat occur? Scientists think cortisol, the stress hormone, may play a role – cortisol increases insulin resistance, which increases fat deposits.
Do you have excess belly fat?
To find out if you have potentially dangerous belly fat, take a soft tape measure. Then, while standing up straight with the stomach relaxed (no sucking allowed), measure your belly a few inches above your hips..
Are you at risk of belly fat? For women, the main figure is believed to be 35 inches (89 cm) or more around the stomach, and for men it is 40 inches (102 cm)..
Performing crunches will not dissolve visceral fat; This will only cause your abdominal muscles to tone.However, diet and exercise appear to be better at addressing visceral fat than subcutaneous fat.
You need to make sure you have more calories than calories to achieve this – either by reducing your caloric intake or getting more exercise.:
1: Focus on a vegetarian diet full of fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits.
2: Choose lean protein sources and low-fat dairy products.
3: Eat only whole grains – not processed grains, breads, cakes, and the like.
4: Reduce Your Sugar Intake – Avoid processed cakes, cookies, and sugar-sweetened beverages.
5: Watch your portion sizes (tip: use a salad instead of a dinner plate).
6: Add muscle strengthening and weight training exercises to your routine. Muscle burns more calories than fat.
7: Start a brisk exercise by doing moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, for at least 150 minutes per week, or doing vigorous aerobic exercise, such as running, fast cycling, swimming or team sports, for at least 75 minutes per week.
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