The Dangers of Belly Fat

Many people are not aware of just how serious the dangers of belly fat are. Here's what you need to know about belly fat and how it can affect your health.

There are two types of body fat, subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is stored just underneath the skin. Visceral fat is stored mostly inside the abdominal cavity, where it wraps around the internal organs. Visceral fat causes the belly to bulge as it gathers beneath the abdominal wall, crammed within the organs.

Visceral fat is especially dangerous because it's metabolically active tissue that secretes harmful inflammatory substances that can contribute to a variety of health problems.

Here are the top seven dangers of belly fat:

1. Premature Death

Each five centimeter increase in waist size (a little less than two inches) raises the risk for premature death by 13% in women and 17% in men.

2. Heart Disease

In a study reported in Circulation: Heart Failure, researchers found that a four inch increase in waist size raised the risk for heart disease by about 15%, even in people of normal weight.

3. Cancer

Both men and women with higher percentages of belly fat are more likely to develop a variety of cancers, including colon, kidney and breast cancer.

4. Dementia

In one study of 6,583 adults, it was found that the bigger the belly, the greater the risk for dementia. Among those of normal weight who had excess belly fat, dementia risk was almost two times higher than for those of normal weight who did not have excess belly fat.

5. Lung Problems

Lung function is reduced in people with higher stores of belly fat, possibly because of the higher secretion of lung damaging inflammatory substances.

6. Diabetes

Excess belly fat greatly increases the risk for insulin resistance (a condition in which the body's cells don't use insulin properly) and diabetes.

7. Migraines

Researchers at Drexel University College of Medicine found that women with large amounts of belly fat were up to 30% more likely than lean women to suffer from migraine headaches.

As you can see, the dangers of belly fat have to be taken very seriously. Even if you're of normal weight, you can still have excess belly fat that can cause major health problems.