Denton County Living Well Magazine Fall 2015 | Page 32

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Belly Fat

ach day millions of people are becoming aware of
the risks of excess fat in the abdominal area also
known as “belly fat.” It is not the idea of not fitting into your favorite jeans anymore, right now it
is about your health. According to a recent study
published in the Journal of American Medical Association (2015), abdominal fat is tending to be very common
among adults. For this reason obesity is a major issue in
the United States. When a person exercises too little and
doesn’t balance the amount of calories going in and burning off, excess body fat can accumulate in the abdominal
area. This aspect, plus the fact that with aging comes muscle mass loss, means one thing––you need to take charge
of your health. You can do it!

metabolically active and produces factors and hormones
that increase risks for the illnesses mentioned above. Even
skinny people can have hidden, unhealthy belly fat.
Take note: waist measurements with the use of a tape measure of more than 35 inches for women and more than 40
inches in men need to be evaluated.

The science behind it

Women and men

There are two types of belly fat: subcutaneous and visceral.
While the subcutaneous fat refers to the one between the
skin and the wall of the abdomen, the visceral is deeper
and surrounds abdominal organs. According to Harvard
University, the