While having some fat is beneficial, visceral belly fat poses serious health risks that increase its prevalence – this includes type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
As CT or MRI scanning remains the only definitive way of diagnosing visceral fat, your GP may utilize general measurements and guidelines in order to help identify any potential issues.
1. Eat a healthy diet
Visceral fat, the type that gathers around internal organs and sits beneath your skin, has been linked with several health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. A healthy diet and regular physical activity are two effective strategies for decreasing this form of visceral fat.
Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and healthy fats such as those found in olive oil is key to living a long and healthy life. Sleep well at night, reduce stress levels and if possible give up smoking and alcohol use altogether – these goals should all help make up the basis of a good wellness regime. The Evergreen Life app has a waist measurement tracker that can help monitor changes to waist sizes which could give an indication as to whether belly fat retention may occur.
Your genes, age and lifestyle all play a role in where fat deposits build up in your body. For example, apple-shaped people might store more in their abdominal region while pear shaped people could store fat around their hips and thighs. Visceral fat often produces more harmful substances than subcutaneous fat; having too much can pose greater health risks.
Visceral fat can be more challenging to shift than subcutaneous fat that’s easier to see and pinch, but diet and regular exercise can still help. Aiming for a waist-hip ratio no greater than 50:1 will ensure optimal success when trying to decrease visceral fat accumulation.
Dietary fibre intake can also help to decrease visceral fat levels. Aim to incorporate whole wheat, oats, barley and rye into your diet; supplements like glucomannan can also be helpful. Staying active is also recommended and at least 30 minutes of aerobic or high-intensity resistance training each day should be completed – perhaps starting slowly with walking or jogging before increasing activity level over time. It is also beneficial to focus on strengthening core muscles through exercises such as planks push-ups or crunches.
2. Exercise regularly
Visceral fat is a type of abdominal wall fat that forms deep within and surrounds your organs, offering some protection to them while providing insulation against temperature extremes. While certain levels can be beneficial in protecting organs from overheating and protecting from potential infection, too much visceral fat may present serious health complications and interfere with your body’s ability to function normally by producing inflammatory substances that lead to insulin resistance, high blood pressure, diabetes or increased heart disease and obesity risks.
Dieting and regular exercise are key ways to reducing visceral fat. Medication or liposuction alone will not work, so exercise should be your go-to solution to shed that visceral layer. While cardio and resistance training will help burn away some visceral fat, natural weight loss is always better and keeping cardio strength training combined with resistance training will increase strength to further prevent future visceral fat from returning.
Visceral fat can be difficult to detect as it is non-visible, yet still indicative of an unhealthy lifestyle. Potbelly formation, being more “apple-shaped” than “pear-shaped”, and having an increased waistline are all indicators that you may have too much visceral fat in your system. Studies have revealed those more apple shaped tend to store it around their stomach area while pear shaped people store theirs more commonly around hips and thighs.
Eat a diet rich in nutrients to reduce visceral fat. Include whole grains, legumes, nuts and vegetables as they all provide plenty of soluble fibre which is proven to reduce visceral fat. Be sure to drink two litres of water every day in order to remain hydrated.
Visceral fat can create serious health complications, but the good news is that it’s easier than subcutaneous fat to reduce. Exercise, healthy diet and sufficient sleep all play key roles in lowering visceral fat and improving overall health.
CT or MRI scans are the best way to accurately assess visceral fat, but these tests can be costly and unavailable to all individuals. Your GP may use general measurements and guidelines to estimate visceral fat levels based on waist circumference measurements as well as recommendations that include following a healthy eating plan low in sugar, salt and saturated fats while including regular physical activity; they will also advise how you can improve sleeping patterns, decrease stress levels and limit alcohol consumption.
3. Stop smoking
Visceral fat is different than subcutaneous fat in that it lies deep within your abdominal cavity and wraps itself around organs such as liver and intestines, giving your belly an “apple-shaped” appearance while also producing harmful chemicals and hormones which could have serious repercussions for health.
Visceral fat can increase your risk for various health issues, including heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers; and mental health problems like depression and anxiety. Therefore it is essential that individuals become aware of the differences between pear-shaped fat and apple-shaped fat and take steps to decrease visceral fat in their bodies.
As well as eating in moderation, maintaining a nutritionally-balanced diet is also essential to decreasing belly fat accumulation. Aim for a balance of fibre, protein and healthy fats for best results when it comes to curbing excess abdominal fat accumulation. A nutrient-rich diet will also ensure energy remains consistent throughout your day!
Studies have demonstrated that smoking increases abdominal fat formation. This deep fat can pose serious health risks by raising insulin resistance and contributing to diabetes development; hence it is so crucial for smokers to stop.
Exercise and diet can help to effectively reduce visceral fat. Gradually changing eating habits and increasing physical activity are effective means of doing this, while adequate sleep can reduce cortisol production – which contributes to fat storage.
Being overweight with too much belly fat increases your risks of health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure and insulin resistance, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease – but its detection can be difficult without expensive MRI or CT scans being utilized by doctors. Therefore, it’s crucial that we work towards living a healthier weight lifestyle and minimizing stress levels to combat this issue.
4. Reduce alcohol
Visceral fat increases your risk for certain diseases and lowers self-confidence, but it’s possible to reduce it with healthy eating and exercise habits. Eating a well-balanced diet, getting adequate sleep, not smoking, drinking less alcohol and decreasing stress levels all will help you lose belly fat more effectively.
Protein at each meal can also help your body send the satiety signal, which makes you feel full and helps prevent overeating. Be wary of too much sugar consumption as this could contribute to weight gain and belly fat formation.
Whenever enjoying alcohol with dinner, strive to stay within the NHS-recommended 14 units a week limit and plan some alcohol-free evenings each week.
Alcohol can add hundreds of calories to your daily diet if you drink more than two glasses each evening, leading to extra belly fat known as “beer bellies.” Too much alcohol consumption also puts strain on liver function and metabolism; to determine your current waist-hip ratio it’s easiest to measure waist circumference in centimetres/inches and divide by your height; ideal results would be under 40.
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