Beer belly, also commonly called belly fat can increase your risks of heart disease, reveals a study. The study says that belly fat is bad for your cardiovascular health, even if you are not overweight. Having belly fat will make you more prone to risk of heart disease as compared to people who are obese as per their body mass index but don't have belly fat. The latter kind of body shape is known as central obesity, which is defined by a person who is living a sedentary lifestyle, eating too many carbs and has low muscle mass. A person with body mass index of 30 or more is defined as obese. But it has to be noted that body mass index does not differentiate between excess fat, muscle or bone mass. Neither does it inform about distribution of fat among individuals.
Having belly fat can increase risk of heart disease
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Body mass index (BMI) is defined by weight in relation to height in kg/metre square. BMI is used to categorise people as overweight, underweight, normal weight or obese. A person's BMI does not tell about the distribution and amount of fat and muscle. Belly fat or any kind of abnormal fat distribution in the body will not be accounted by the BMI.
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From 1997 to 2000, around 1,700 people of the age of 45 years or older in the US participated in the study. These participants were made to undergo a clinical examination where measurements were taken of their height, weight and waist and hip circumference. From 2000 to 2016, these participants followed up for the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases like stroke, heart attack and death from cardiovascular diseases.
People with central obesity are more prone to risks of heart disease, reveals study
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The study included people with normal weight, normal fat distribution and the ones with central obesity. It was found that people with normal weight and central obesity were more prone to risks of heart diseases as compared to people with normal weight and normal fat distribution.
According to the study, People who were found with normal BMI, which ranges between 18.5 - 24.9 kg/metre square, and central obesity had two-fold higher risk of heart problems as compared to people who did not have central obesity, irrespective of their BMI.
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Hence, any fat around your belly which is greater than size of your hips should be checked by a doctor for cardiovascular health. People with central obesity should focus more on waist loss than weight loss.
This can be achieved by exercising regularly and maintaining an active lifestyle. Make sure you engage in as much physical activity as possible, take the stairs instead of taking the elevator, park your vehicle away from home to walk more. People with central obesity should work on increasing muscle mass by including strength and resistance training in fitness regime. Cutting down on refined carbs is also important in order to lose waist.
Exercising regularly can lead to waist loss
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In order to reduce your waist size, you need to focus on changing your daily intake of calories. Consuming lesser calories forces your body to resort to fat as fuel. Cutting down on calories can lead help in reducing inches from your waist.
Also read: 5 Seemingly Innocent Habits That Increase Belly Fat
However, you need to be smart when it comes to the kind of food choices that you will make. Certain foods that are known to contribute to belly fat include refined carbs such as sweets and white bread, high-fat meats, and trans-fats in baked and fried foods. In order to reduce your waist circumference, you need to cut down on all of these foods. You should instead focus more on eating whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, healthy sources of protein such as poultry, lean meat, eggs and beans, etc.
In order to reduce your waist line, reducing intake of salt and sodium is important. Sodium can contribute to fluid retention and bloating in the abdomen. Also, avoid processed and canned foods as they come packed with salt and sodium. This includes packed ketchup, sauces and salty snacks such as salted nuts. This should be combined with drinking lots of water in order to flush out harmful toxins and excess sodium from the body.
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
