Belly Fat Can Kill You!

It’s no secret that fat that settles around your belly is one of the most unattractive things about a person’s body.  That spare tire that sits around your middle and hangs over the waistband of your pants can make even the most beautiful person look sloppy and unkempt.  Belly fat can make that sexy dress turn into a lumpy mess, or make those great slacks look like they fit poorly.  Having a flabby waist can even ruin your self esteem and make you feel less confident in your every day life.  But did you know that belly fat can kill you?

While a flabby gut may have sent you to the gym, the bigger problem is that it can also lead you to an early death.  Those scary statistics aren’t just for those that are overweight- even people with a fairly normal body weight that have excess fat around their belly are at risk of dying at a far younger age than those who don’t have flabby bellies.  Each time you loosen your belt by two notches, you increase the chances of an early death by fifteen percent.  This statistic comes from a study of more than 360,000 people conducted earlier this year.  The results were so convincing that many physicians are now measuring the waist as a way to assess overall health.

While body mass index remains one of the best indicators of health, the researchers found a link between flabby stomachs and poor health, even among people that had BMI scores that were within normal ranges.  Researchers say that after heavy tobacco use and high levels of alcoholism, having excess belly fat is the number one thing that is likely to kill you.  The reason for this is that people with more belly fat than usual have a higher instance of chronic disease such as diabetes.  Excess fat around the waist can lead to insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes.  Diabetes is a very serious condition because not only does it lead to irregular blood sugar, it can also harm your circulation which can lead to loss of limbs or other dangerous side effects.  Those with excess belly fat also have higher levels of cholesterol, high blood sugar, and elevated blood pressure.  These things all lead to increased risk for heart disease and stroke.

There are different kinds of belly fat, and that can make a difference in how dangerous your fat is.  Fat that is found below your muscles, close to your internal organs, is the kind that causes disease.  That’s why people who are overweight are less likely to suffer from dangerous health effects than those who are of a normal weight but have excess fat around their waist.

Wondering if you are at risk due to your higher levels of belly fat?  Grab a measuring tape and measure the circumference of your waist.  If that measurement is more than 39 inches, you need to act right now to prevent the dangerous side effects that belly fat can cause.  If your measurement is below 39 inches, you may not be safe- you need to start taking action to prevent your waist from growing larger.  If you find yourself loosening your belt or sucking in your stomach to fit into last years’ clothes, you must find ways to lower your risk of disease as soon as possible.

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Exercises to lose belly fat

If a person is on the negative end of the activity spectrum and genetically predisposed to a slow metabolic rate then losing belly fat can prove be quite a difficult task for that person. Belly fat looks ungainly and makes a person slow and lethargic. There are a lot of people who resort to crash dieting and diet teas in order to lose belly fat. However it is worth noting that neither dieting nor exercise alone can help achieve losing that belly fat. It is only when a person incorporates the right mix of dieting and exercises that one can effectively lose belly fat. Belly fat is produced due to inactivity and stress. During stress the hormone called cortisone is released from the body which stores fat in the belly. Therefore it is of paramount importance that a person tries to remain stress free in order to decrease the chances of adding further fat in the belly region.

There are several exercises to lose belly fat which basically aims to increase the metabolic rate. This in turn helps to tackle the adamant belly fat. Exercises to lose belly fat include stretches and core muscle exercises. The stretching prepares the abdominal region so that the intensive abs exercises can be performed in a better and safer way. Abs exercises specifically targets the abdominal muscles and it helps to define the abdominal region by toning and strengthening them. Some of the exercises to lose belly fat include yoga, swimming, abdominal crunches, sit-ups and mountain climb. Yoga exercises the entire body and not just the abdominal region. There are various breathing techniques and stretching poses that are really effective. Yoga has different poses and they target different area of the body. You can effectively strengthen your back, shoulders, arms and legs while strengthening your core. Another important thing to remember is that yoga should always be practiced under the supervision of a trainer. Swimming is a great option to lose belly for those who love outdoor sports. During swimming abdominal muscles is required to power the legs to push against the water. This burns a lot of calories from the mid-section and also helps to tone shoulders, arms and legs. Abdominal crunches are touted as the most effective exercise to shape the belly region. Crunches and reverse crunches should be practiced together in order to give full definition to the abdominal area. While performing crunches it is important to pay attention to the breathing technique. When going up, a person should inhale and while coming down one should exhale. Moreover the neck should not be lifted while performing this exercise. Crunches target the mid section and reverse crunches target the lower abdominal region. Sit-ups are also a great exercise to lose belly fat. Mountain climb helps put tension on the abs and burn off the love handles. There are several other exercises to lose belly fat such as air cycling, trunk rotation, alternate leg lifts, stomach twisting, inclined sit-ups, front squats, ball crunches, chin up crunches, V crunches, side crunches, hip raise exercise and many more.

If someone is battling bulging tummy then it is best to start training under a supervisor. As already stated, it is best to do a combination of diet and exercise. There are innumerable exercises to lose belly fat and not all exercise is meant for everyone. Some exercise is effective for some people, for others it may not work at all. A good trainer will supervise the workout schedule and customizes them for an individual’s body type. Exercises to lose belly fat effectively increase the basal metabolic rate so that a person keeps on burning belly fat even when idle. Running, jogging, skipping are great aerobic exercises that helps to keep the entire body in shape. For those who love outdoor activities they can choose to engage in various intensive outdoor sports to lose the belly fat.

 

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Why Belly Fat Can Kill You

Today’s health craze is about living a healthy lifestyle so we don’t die from heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke and a few other big, bad diseases. We are told to eat fresh fruits and vegetables, cut out of our lives fried foods, pre-packaged foods, fast foods and drink lots of water. We are told that a reasonable body mass index (BMI) reading is the ideal to aspire to and can save our lives. What they don’t tell us is the nuts and bolts of why. Why do some persons have an excess of fat cells in their hips and legs (known as a pear) while others have more fat cells around the stomach (known as an apple)? What can this do to us?

Activity and hormones play large parts in the battle against belly fat. In youth, people are active, burning off more calories than are taken in, which prevents fat cells from accumulating. Hormones are on the job, directing the body’s systems to their maximum operating abilities. As people age, however, the hormones slow down, the activity slows down, both of which cause fat cells to collect in various spots on the body. The thyroid is the traffic cop in the body, directing the hormonal traffic. When the thyroid slows down, so do the hormones, some of which control weight loss.

There are two types of belly fat: visceral and subcutaneous. Visceral fat cells lie below the abdominal muscles where they cushion the vital organs. This places them close to the heart, liver and spleen, all of which can sustain damage from secretions from the fat cells, which kill people. Subcutaneous fat cells, on the other hand, lie just underneath the skin and are easier to work off, although they, too, secrete substances which affect the major organs.

Fat cells divide after time, spawning more and more fat cells. They center themselves in certain areas of the body, where they affect the major organs. Getting rid of them is of paramount importance if people want to live. Good diet and exercise really can save lives and this is why. Fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats and lots of water in addition to activity, even into age, can turn the tide of the fat invasion. Targeted exercise, such as lifting weights or ab exercises help, but it is the aerobic and cardio routines that burn off belly fat.

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