Truth about Belly Fat

People store most of their fat in two ways:

• Just under the skin in the thighs, hips, buttocks, and abdomen. That's called subcutaneous (under the skin) fat. It's the fat that you notice.
• Deeper inside, around the vital organs (heart, lungs, digestive tract, liver, etc.) in the chest, abdomen, and pelvis. That's called "visceral" fat. It's so deep inside you that you can't notice it from the outside.

Many people are self-conscious about the fat they can see. But actually, it's the hidden fat -- the visceral fat -- that may be a bigger problem, even for thin people.

The problem is when you have too much of it. That is linked to a greater chance of developing high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and certain cancers (including breast cancer and colon cancer.) 

There are four keys to controlling belly fat:  exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management.

Exercise: Vigorous exercise trims fat, including visceral fat. It can also slow down the build-up of visceral fat that tends to happen over the years.

How much exercise does it take? Half an hour of vigorous aerobic exercise, done four times a week.   

Moderate activity – raising your heart rate for 30 minutes at least three times per week – also helps. It slows down how much visceral fat you gain. But to torch visceral fat, your workouts may need to be more vigorous.

If you are not active now, it's a good idea to check with your health care provider before starting a new fitness program. They'll probably be thrilled that you want to get started, and will check that you're ready for it.

And forget spot-reducing. There aren't any moves that specifically target visceral fat.

Diet: There is no magic diet for belly fat. But when you lose weight, on any diet, belly fat usually goes first.

A fiber-rich diet may also help. Hairston’s research shows that people who eat 10 grams of soluble fiber per day, without any other diet changes, build up less visceral fat over time than others. That’s two small apples, a cup of green peas, and a half-cup of pinto beans, for example.

Sleep: Getting the right amount of sleep helps. In one study, people who got six to seven hours of sleep per night gained less visceral fat over 5 years, compared to those who slept five or fewer hours per night, or eight or more hours per night.  Sleep may not have been the only thing that mattered -- but it was part of the picture.

Stress: Stress happens. It's what you do with it that matters.

You probably already know that people tend not to make the best food choices when they're stressed. And when you've got chronic stress, that can be a problem.

meditating,and exercising are healthy ways to handle stress. Signing up for a workshop or some counseling sessions can also help you tame your stress.