These days belly fat is indeed one of the most widely targeted areas of the body among men and women alike. Walk into any gym and you'll find countless people spending a large majority of their workout time performing abdominal workouts for the sole purpose of shrinking their tummies fast. While belly fat is a multifaceted problem that's linked to a variety of uncontrollable factors (genetics, gender, and hormones), your dietary patterns can also play a major role in its development.
What is Belly Fat?
Belly fat is essentially an excess accumulation of fat in the abdominal area. The abdominal area itself is comprised of an external layer of skin, an internal layer of subcutaneous fat tissue, and another internal layer of muscle tissue, in that order. Just behind the muscle is a deeper layer of fat tissue called visceral fat, which surrounds all internal organs in the area. Belly fat is made up of some combination of both visceral and subcutaneous fat tissue.
Why is it Important to Lose Belly Fat?
Losing belly fat can substantially reduce your risk of numerous health conditions and chronic diseases. This holds true especially for visceral fat, which is by far the most dangerous type of fat. Excess visceral fat has been linked to the development of high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and high blood pressure. Along with such conditions, it is a primary feature of the metabolic syndrome, a cluster of interconnected factors that greatly increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
How Does Diet Impact Belly Fat?
The presence of belly fat is largely dependent on your overall diet composition, especially… Read the rest here:
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Posted By: Nina Cherie Franklin Franklin
Saturday, March 1st 2014 at 12:38PM
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