Belly fat — and what you can do about it

Most of the fat in our body is subcutaneous fat, i.e. fat that sits directly under the skin surface and which we can grab with our hands. The fat in the abdomen is both this subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Unlike subcutaneous fat, visceral fat is not tangible because it lies deep in the abdominal cavity near our abdominal organs.

Where fat accumulates depends on various factors, such as genes and hormones. Lower body fat (the pear shape) is subcutaneous, while fat in the abdominal area (the apple shape) is largely visceral fat.

Overweight in the middle of the body

Overweight in the middle of the body is very common among older people, as body fat is often redistributed to the abdominal region during the aging process. On average, pre-menopausal women have half as much belly fat as men. This is primarily due to the figure: While women generally have a higher total and percentage body fat percentage, this fat is more commonly found in the area of their hips and thighs due to their pear-shaped stature. Men usually have an apple shape by nature and carry excess weight in their abdominal region.

Visceral fat

Fat cells do more than just store excess calories — they play a much bigger role in human physiology than we previously thought. We now know that adipose tissue acts like an independent organ by expelling hormones and inflammatory substances from our body. Research suggests that fat cells — particularly abdominal fat cells — are biologically active. Visceral fat produces special biochemicals called cytokines, which increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and can have harmful effects on insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, and blood clotting.

For this reason, too much abdominal or visceral fat is linked to a wide range of health problems. It should be noted that the percentage of abdominal fat in two people with very similar BMIs can vary significantly. Accordingly, a person with a BMI in the “normal” weight range can exceed the safe percentage of abdominal fat. So if you are of normal weight but have too much visceral belly fat, it can lead to health problems.

Visceral fat has been linked to metabolic disorders, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). In women, it is also positively associated with breast cancer.

The only way to definitively diagnose visceral fat is with a CT or MRI scan. However, these are expensive and time-consuming processes.

Another way to find out if you have too much belly fat is to measure your waist and hips. While this is a simple but not entirely accurate way to measure your visceral fat. Simply measure both the circumference of your waist and that of your hips (at the widest point) with a tape measure and then divide the waist circumference by the hip circumference. For men, a number above 0.9 is considered too much, for women above 0.85.

Do you have excess belly fat? Losing belly fat isn't that difficult, but requires discipline. Below, we'll tell you how to get rid of your belly fat.

Getting rid of belly fat — how does it work?

The good news is that visceral fat yields fairly easily to exercise and diet, with benefits ranging from lower blood pressure to more favourable cholesterol levels.

Consider regular moderate-intensity physical activity — at least 30 minutes per day (and perhaps up to 60 minutes per day) to control weight. Strength training (exercising with weights) may also help fight abdominal fat. Spot exercising, such as doing sit-ups, can tighten abdominal muscles, but it won't get at visceral fat.

Diet is also important

Losing belly fat has a variety of health benefits, from lower blood pressure to lower cholesterol levels. But how can you get rid of belly fat? The good news is that visceral fat responds very well to exercise and diet. To control your weight and get rid of belly fat, you should exercise regularly at medium intensity — preferably 60 minutes a day, but at least 30. You can also lose belly fat through weight training (training with weights). Exercises that focus on individual muscle groups, such as sit-ups, do tone the abdominal muscles but do not combat visceral fat.

Nutrition also plays a role. Pay attention to the size of your portions and rely on complex carbohydrates (fruit, vegetables and whole grains) and lean protein instead of simple carbohydrates such as white bread, white flour pasta and sugary drinks. Replacing saturated fats and trans fats with polyunsaturated fats can also help get rid of unsightly and, above all, unhealthy belly fat.

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[1] Coelho M et al. Biochemistry of adipose tissue: an endocrine organ.Arch Med Sci. 2013 Apr 20; 9 (2): 191—200.

[1] Elffers T.W. et al. Body fat distribution, in particular visceral fat, is associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in obese women. PLoS One. 2017; 12 (9): e0185403.

[1] Chakraborty D et al. Fibroblast growth factor receptor is a mechanistic link between visceral obesity and cancer. Oncogene. 2017 (36) 6668—6679

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