Visceral Fat - The Dangers of A Thick Waist

Obesity is undoubtedly a growing problem within Europe, the US and indeed throughout the developed world. Most of us know that obesity is a bad thing; it makes us less fit, less able to exercise, more lethargic and so on, but general obesity is not quite so damaging as the dreaded visceral fat, which is the fat that we carry on our stomachs and around our waists.

2 Types Of Stomach Fat

There are 2 different types of stomach fat. The first is referred to as subcutaneous fat, this is the fat that we can squeeze or pinch. It is just below the skin and unless we are stick thin, most of us have some subcutaneous fat.

The other type of fat is visceral fat and it lies deep within the abdomen and cannot be squeezed or pinched, it is almost solid. It makes people look as if they have a pot belly or a beer belly, even if they don't drink all that much. But it is potentially dangerous and we should all be aware of it and the risks that it carries, before it is too late!

Health Risks Associated With Visceral Fat

The list of health risks associated with this type of fat does not make pleasant reading. There is growing evidence that it is associated with developing Alzheimer's disease. If you carry this kind of fat in your 40's or 50's then you are in effect increasing the risk of developing this condition.

Visceral fat is also toxic in the sense that it releases toxins into your body, particularly to your liver, which has to deal with the toxins and 'process' the visceral fat. As it processes it releases fat into the blood in the form of cholesterol. And as we all know, the more cholesterol that we have, the more we risk developing high blood pressure or heart disease, because the cholesterol can block up our arteries.

Excess stomach fat can also increase your risk of diabetes and if you have diabetes then you are more at risk from heart disease.

You will also be at risk of developing certain kinds of cancer or from having a stroke.

So all in all, it really is not a good thing to have!

Waist Size Matters!

The really, really had news about visceral fat is that you can look relatively slim, but still have this kind of fat! If you have a waist size that is greater than 40 inches (for a man) or 35 inches (for a woman) then you have visceral fat, which increases your health risks. Although these waist measurements sound pretty generous, many people have such waist sizes and the only way to be sure is to measure your waist and then reduce it if it is larger than it should be!

Libbie Johnson is a freelance ghostwriter, who has recently published an ebook 'Life After A Loved One Has A Heart Attack' a survival guide for anyone living with a person who has had a heart attack. Passionate about health and heart issues, please check out Libbie's e-book and other information at ' http://www.afteraheartattack.co.uk