Abdominal obesity causes many insecurities when it comes to image, but the most worrying thing is not the aesthetic partbut what happens inside.
Belly fat is highly detrimental to health. Also called visceral fat - as it accumulates around the viscera, such as the stomach and intestines. can affect the proper functioning of the body.
Visceral fat manufactures a number of toxins, including cytokines. These chemicals increase the chances of heart disease and make the body less sensitive to insulin, which can trigger the development of diabetes.
Cytokines also cause inflammation, which can lead to certain types of cancer. In recent years, research has found links between abdominal obesity and colon cancer, esophagus and pancreas.
Are you at risk?
Not all overweight people are at risk. The greater the measurement of the belly, the greater the danger it represents to health. Experts warn that women are at risk when they equal or exceed 90 cm, while the figure for men is 100 cm or higher.
What solutions are there?
Fortunately, it is almost always in the hand of the person to reduce the size of their stomach and thus reduce the chances of all these diseases. The following habits are essential to solve the problem:
- Reduce the consumption of sugar and processed foods
- Eat more vegetables
- Do more sport, combining cardiovascular exercise with strength training
- Get 7-9 hours of sleep every night
- Find ways to reduce stress