Is your waistline also a problem area? The risk factor par excellence

For men, it is the problem area par excellence - the belly. And according to experts, it is precisely this or the amount of abdominal fat that indicates how high your risk of developing cardiovascular disease or other accompanying symptoms is. Although men are more often affected by fat deposits on the stomach, women are not immune to them either.

Above this abdominal circumference you have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease:

• Women: > 88 cm
• Men: > 102 cm

For the sake of health, however, the abdominal circumference should be less than 80 cm for women and 94 cm for men. This is because the risk of illness increases above this level.

If you want to measure your waist circumference correctly, do this in the morning before breakfast.

➤ In 2017, the average waist circumference in Austria ranged from 81 cm for women to 91.9 cm for men.

What makes abdominal fat or visceral fat so dangerous?

Not all fats are the same

Our bodies do not only contain harmful fat. First and foremost, we need fat for protection. The so-called subcutaneous fat accumulates under the skin, insulates and stores energy. This fat (subcutaneous fat) is therefore very useful for us. Not so visceral fat...

What is visceral fat?

Many of us have a little "extra" around the middle of our body. This abdominal fat is also known as visceral fat. Compared to subcutaneous fat, it is located in the abdominal cavity around organs such as the liver, pancreas and our heart.

In evolution, visceral fat proved to be very useful as it prevented humans from succumbing to premature starvation. It mainly served as a fat reserve, but also as additional protection for our organs. Nowadays, however, most of us no longer need such fat reserves or additional padding to survive - at least not in our latitudes. And in general, fat has more disadvantages than advantages. Experts say that it is precisely this fat that promotes the development of diseases.

Belly fat can be genetic. However, a far more important factor in the development of visceral fat is our own lifestyle. If we consume a lot of alcohol (beer belly), have an unhealthy and unbalanced diet (lots of sugar and fat), do little exercise, do not sleep enough and generally have a stressful everyday life, all of this can lead to an increased abdominal circumference.  

Caution: Visceral fat can be very dangerous for our health!

Abdominal girth as a risk factor

The fat cells in our belly fat are very active, they are also referred to as "metabolically active". This means that they are constantly producing too many messenger substances and hormones that confuse our body. This is because they influence the release of the hormone insulin, have an effect on blood pressure and promote inflammation in the body. 

As the abdominal girth increases, so does the risk of serious illnesses such as:

• Vascular diseases: Belly fat around the heart can lead to arteriosclerosis or cardiovascular disease. The pumping power decreases, which leads to calcification of the arteries and increases blood pressure. The risk of heart attack and stroke increases dramatically.
• Type 2 diabetes: Visceral fat accumulates around the pancreas and can increase insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.
• Shortness of breath: Excess abdominal fat can constrict the lungs and lead to shortness of breath.

A reduction in the abdominal circumference of just 1 cm already reduces the risk of vascular disease by 3%!

Are you the apple or pear type?

• Apple: Excess fat accumulates directly on the abdomen. The apple type is particularly at risk, as visceral fat deposits are more common in this type.
• Pear: Excess fat accumulates on the hips, bottom and thighs.

Men in particular are often classified as the "apple type" and are therefore susceptible to excessive belly fat and its risks. The beer belly is a classic example of this.

Can't you simply train your "belly" away?

That's a myth. You can't train away just one problem area on your body. But you can get rid of your "belly" with a targeted full-body workout.

Exercise - the good old fat killer

• Take the stairs instead of the escalator/elevator
• Go for a walk every day
• Ride your bike to the shops
• Start with Nordic walking or aerobics

But exercise alone is not enough. You need to show discipline and also change your diet in the fight against belly fat. Because an excess of unused calories will immediately build up again.

Can you eat your "belly" away?

As already mentioned, your own lifestyle influences the formation of visceral fat. Conversely, this also means that something can be done about belly fat with the help of diet.

It is important that you include the following in your diet:

• Dietary fiber: This serves as food for our intestinal bacteria, keeps us full for longer and helps to reduce belly fat. This includes pulses, seeds, grains, fruit and vegetables.
• Protein: Protein helps to boost your metabolism, which is essential in the fight against belly fat. Pulses, meat and algae contain particularly high levels of protein. Spirulina, for example, contains 3x more protein than beef!
• Healthy fats: Consuming the right fats will help you lose weight (see keto diet)

Helpful supplements for losing weight:

• L-carnitine: supports weight loss, stimulates the metabolism and has a vasodilating and thus blood circulation-promoting effect
• Green coffee extract: sustainably inhibits fat and sugar absorption and has a strong antioxidant effect
• Glucomannan: as a dietary fiber, it provides a natural feeling of satiety and leads to weight loss

In addition, the following can support your heart and blood sugar health:

• Pomegranate extract: The concentrated power of ingredients has a preventive and supportive effect on the cardiovascular system
• Resveratrol: The plant substance helps to regulate blood pressure and cholesterol and protects the blood vessels
• Omega 3: provides you with the valuable omega 3 fatty acids DHA and EPA and supports your heart health
• R-alpha lipoic acid: improves insulin sensitivity in diabetes and helps with symptoms of diabetic polyneuropathy

As you can now imagine, you should avoid added sugar, as this will directly reattach to your stomach as visceral fat. You should also reduce your meat consumption and avoid fast food, alcohol and soft drinks.

➤ Almost 60% of men and 40% of women in Germany are considered overweight!

Conclusion:

Your abdominal circumference plays a major role in determining your future health. Every centimeter counts. Experts even attach more importance to your waist circumference than your body weight or BMI.

But beware, not only overweight people are affected by abdominal fat. Lean people who lead a high-sugar and high-fat lifestyle can also have a problem with visceral fat tissue. This can be detected by scans.

Studies suggest that by reducing visceral fat tissue you can prevent or delay age-related diseases and thus increase your longevity.

You won't get rid of belly fat overnight, but with discipline, exercise and a change in diet you can!

Sources (in English): 

Tanaka, N., Murakami, H., Ohmori, Y., Aiba, N., Morita, A., Watanabe, S. & Miyachi, M. (2018, July-August). Association of visceral fat area with abdominal skeletal muscle distribution in overweight Japanese adults. Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, Volume 12, Issue 4, doi: 10.1016/j.orcp.2016.06.005

Rosqvist, F., Iggman, D., Kullberg, J., Cedernaes, J., Johannson, H. E., Larsson, A. et al. (2014, July). Overfeeding polyunsaturated and saturated fat causes distinct effects on liver and visceral fat accumulation in humans. Diabetes, 63(7):2356-68, doi: 10.2337/db13-1622

Jung, H. C., Jeon, S., Lee, N. H., Kim, K., Kang, M. &Lee, S. (2019, June). Effects of exercise intervention on visceral fat in obese children and adolescents. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 59(6):1045-1057, doi: 10.23736/S0022-4707.18.08935-1

Finelli, C., Sommella, L., Gioia, S., La Sala, N. & Tarantino, G. (2013, September). Should visceral fat be reduced to increase longevity? Ageing Research Reviews, 12(4):996-1004, doi: 10.1016/j.arr.2013.05.007