I have often heard people say, ‘I am not fat. I just have a little bit of a belly. That’s all.’ Most of the times, it’s true. They are usually quite thin except for a pot belly. But, it turns out, that this ‘little’ tummy fat can cause big problems to your health.
Types of Fat
The fat in our tummies or our abdomen is either subcutaneous or visceral. The subcutaneous fat is the one which you can feel when you press the belly. However, the visceral fat is unseen as it lies in the gaps between our abdominal organs. While, in appropriate quantity, it acts like a protective layer to our organs, too much of it can lead to several serious health issues like heart diseases, diabetes, respiratory problems and cancer.
What Does Visceral Fat Do?
Visceral fat breaks down very easily which results in free fatty acids and other substances in our bloodstream. Moreover, it’s located near the portal vein which is responsible for delivering blood to our liver. Thus, along with the blood, it carried the free fatty acids as well which then hinder the liver’s proper functioning.
Visceral fat is also known to cause an imbalance in some of the hormonal functions. This fat is known to thus cause cardiovascular diseases, increase cholesterol and blood pressure as well as lower insulin resistance resulting in diabetes.
It’s no wonder that today people are advised to measure their health according to the body fat rather than weight
Reasons for Visceral Fat
Visceral fat is a result of an unhealthy lifestyle and food habits. Overindulgence in fatty foods with hardly a little exercise can increase the level of visceral fat in your body. The increasing waistline can also be due to heredity as well as hormonal activity.
In women, menopause is a big contributor to tummy fat since it reduces the body’s capacity to burn it up. Also, as one ages, the metabolic activity decreases, thus making it more difficult to burn the fat.
Keep A Watch On That Waistline
Having a flat waistline is no longer only the matter of looking good. Tummy fat is quite dangerous and can even lead to an early death if left unchecked. A healthy diet and a good workout should be an important part of your routine regardless of your age and gender.
Excess of anything, especially fat has been known to be harmful since a long time. The body needs to be looked after so make sure you do just that and keep all the meddlesome diseases at bay!
