All You Need to Know About Belly Fat
Most people resort to BMI calculations as a weight loss tool. Well, BMI calculations can be a good indicator of whether or not you are in a good weight range. Unfortunately, these calculations often have their unique shortfalls. For instance, they are often found lacking when it comes to distinguishing between muscular and fat weight. In light of this, medical experts single out belly fat the primary cause of all manner of health problems.
What is Belly Fat?
Belly fat refers to the fatty tissue that sits along your abdomen. The presence of this fatty tissues can hurt your wellbeing. This fat, also known as visceral fat is known to produce active toxins known as cytokines known to cause inflammation, insensitivity to insulin, and heart disease. Another severe ailment caused by belly fat is high blood pressure.
Belly fat affects both men and women. Considering that it is possible to have a healthy weight based on your BMI and at the same time fat around your midsection, most otherwise slim persons suffer from the effects of belly fat. It is advisable to keep your waistline to a bare minimum especially if your waist measures 37 inches or 31 inches for men and women respectively.
Causes of Belly Fat
Belly fat is often associated with a mismatch between the number of calories consumed and those used. If you eat foods loaded with lots of calories and burn too little, you stand a high chance of putting on more weight. Genetics and age also put some people at risk of putting other people at a higher risk of developing belly fat than others.
How to Lose Belly Fat
The first step in losing belly fat is to have a goal. This involves looking at your belly measurements. If the size is more than the recommended values offered by health charts, you need to start working on losing weight. This involves trying some weight loss diet, working out often, and at times getting some prescriptive weight loss medicine.
A bulge in your belly is often perceived to be a wake-up call to trim your midsection. Ideally, a healthy lifestyle will ward off a considerable amount of belly fat thus preventing the problems associated with belly fat. You only need to lose 5% of your body to shed as much as 30 percent of belly fat. A perfect body might not be within your reach, but a healthy body should be your main priority.