Get Rid of Tummy Fat and Reduce Heart Risks
Monday, May 11th, 2009
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women, and every minute someone in the United States dies from a heart disease-related event. These statistics can be frightening and make is overwhelmingly clear that people are not doing enough to reduce risks that threaten their heart’s health.
There are many types of heart diseases, including coronary heart disease, heart failure, cholesterol and triglyceride disorders. Many heart diseases can be treated or completely prevented by living a healthy lifestyle. One thing that people can do to greatly reduce their likelihood of developing heart disease is to maintain a healthy weight.
According to the American Heart Association, those with excess body fat, which is those who are considered overweight or obese, have increased chances of developing heart diseases. Extra weight not only increases the amount of work the heart has to do, but it also raises blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and triglyceride levels. Although any extra weight on the body is bad, people who have fat that accumulates around their midsections are particularly at risk for heart disease.
Different than the subcutaneous fat that is found on the upper arms, buttocks, and thighs, visceral fat, or abdominal fat, is more dangerous. This type of fat functions differently and lies within the abdominal cavity and between organs. Abdominal fat cells are more active, both metabolically and biologically, than subcutaneous fat, and produce chemicals and hormones. The signals these fat cells release not only cause inflammation throughout the body, but can affect organs found in the abdominal cavity, such as the liver.
Even if you feel as if it will be extremely difficult for you to get to a healthy weight, losing as little as 10 pounds can begin to lower your risk of heart disease. While there are differences in the functions of visceral and subcutaneous fat, you can get rid of them in the same way: through diet and exercise. Sticking to a healthy diet can help you to lose weight and possibly stop or reduce the growth of visceral fat. But in order to get rid of the fat that you already have, you are going to have to burn it. A good exercise routine will consist of 30 minute workouts on most days of the week. Remember, the more you exercise at higher intensity levels, the greater amount of visceral fat you will burn.
