Excess Belly Fat And Its Impact On Your Heart’s Health
Excess belly fat isn’t only preventing you from fitting in your favorite dress or those pair of jeans from college—it also has a serious impacts on your heart’s health.
Decades of medical research have shown that people who have a propensity to gain weight around their belly and abdomen (also known as “apple shaped” bodies) have a higher risk of not only heart disease, but Type-2 Diabetes. Apple-shaped women are at an even higher risk than apple-shaped men.
When it comes to research about your heart’s health and excess belly fat, studies show that your waist-to-hip ratio is an excellent predictor of heart disease. As one’s waist-to-hip ratio increases, so did people’s propensity to develop heart disease. As scary as that is, knowing the signs are one of the best ways to start turning the situation around.
What’s so bad about belly fat?
In the medical community, belly fat is also known as “visceral fat.” It’s located deep in your abdomen, and surrounds organs like your liver and pancreas. Because of its location, belly fat can have serious implications for your overall health (including your heart’s health). Belly fat can be a contributing factor to metabolic changes, increased insulin resistance, and higher cholesterol levels. On the other hand, the fat that accumulates around your hips or thighs, known in the medical community as “subcutaneous fat”), is “skin deep.” It might not be easier to lose or less frustrating in the changing room, but it’s not linked to more serious changes to your health.
The bad news for women is that they’re more likely to store fat in their abdomen, especially as they go through natural hormonal changes with age. Studies show that as women age, they’re more likely to develop belly fat—sometimes at a rate as high as 4% a year. What makes it even worse is that for belly fat to accumulate, you don’t even necessarily need to gain weight. Sometimes, due to hormonal fluxes, fat is simply redistributed.
It’s important to note that this isn’t about how much you weigh, it’s about where fat is located and how it accumulates. Having a higher BMI on its own isn’t a death sentence, but weight accumulation in certain areas of your body does have a direct correlation with heart disease, as well as diabetes. That being said, it’s not a hard and fast rule either. Not everyone who has an apple shaped body will necessarily experience what’s described in this article. Make sure you’re always checking with a licensed physician first, to make sure you’re doing what’s best for your body and your personal situation.
Getting Rid of Belly Fat
The good news is that it’s not entirely impossible to get rid of belly fat (and therefore protect your heart’s health) with the right lifestyle changes. Genetics, age, and biological sex certainly play a role, but you’re not completely beholden to mother nature on this one. With targeted changes and thoughtful actions, you can protect your heart’s health. Here are some of the changes that medical professionals recommend when you’re trying to shed belly fat.
1. Eat a balanced diet rich in whole grains.
Whole grains can help stave off belly fat. Studies show that people who ate three or more daily servings of whole grains had less belly fat than people who ate no whole grains. This being said, not all whole grains are created equally! To maximize the effects, choose your grains carefully and ensure that they’re not overly processed. Also be cautious not to eat too many grains—four or more servings showed an increase in belly fat.
2. Incorporate plenty of healthy fats into your diet to improve your heart’s health.
When it comes to your heart’s health, saturated fats are the devil. You want to make sure that you have plenty of unsaturated fats in your diet, especially if you’re watching your waistline. Unsaturated fats aren’t only anti-inflammatory, but they also help regulate your insulin. They can be found in certain vegetables, nuts, and fish.
3. Exercise is your heart’s best friend, especially when you’re working on improving your heart’s health.
Regular exercise will do more than help you feel and look good, it will also helps keep your heart healthy (and decrease belly fat). All exercise is good exercise, but make sure you’re incorporating both high intensity interval training (HIIT) and strength training in your routine. They’re the most effective in combatting belly fat, and ensuring that you have the healthiest possible heart.
If you feel like you don’t have enough time to exercise, try doing short bursts of high intensity exercise throughout the day. It doesn’t have to be one solid hour of work—it can be a little bit here, a little bit there. You just have to make sure you’re doing it! Exercise is great: it improves your health, it helps you feel great, and it keep stress levels down. Plus, losing weight doesn’t hurt either.
Another thing to consider is doing strength training that targets particular areas. Once you lose the belly fat, strength training will help you have a toned physique underneath.
4. Make sure your cortisol levels are in a good place if you want to improve your heart’s health and beat belly fat.
Cortisol is the hormone that increases one’s stress levels. Cortisol doesn’t just leave you feeling anxious, though. It also is linked to an increase in belly fat! If you lead a high stress lifestyle, try incorporating yoga or a meditation practice. Even basic mindfulness practices can help beat stress. Don’t underrate this, either! It has a serious effect on your health and should be taken seriously.
5. Make sure you’re sleeping.
Did you know that people who sleep less are more vulnerable to gaining belly fat? Make sure you’re getting at least six hours of shut eye a night. It may also help with your stress levels, too.
