Why Excess Belly Fat Is Bad for Your Health

Many people believe that belly fat is simply an ugly or frustrating body component. The truth is that excess fat in the abdominal area is not only unsightly, but can also be very bad for your health.

There are two types of belly fat: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat.

Subcutaneous fat is located very near your skin and lies on the top of your abdominal muscles. Visceral fat, however, is a much deeper fat. This is the fat that is evident when you have a “beer belly” or a “muffin top”. While both types of fat are unhealthy, visceral fat is the more dangerous of the two. This type of fat is directly linked to diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, stroke and many forms of cancer.

The reason that visceral fat is the more dangerous of the two types is that visceral fat releases more of the inflammatory chemicals that can cause a number of various health problems. Physicians agree that excessive fat in the gluteus maximus or rear-end area is much healthier than belly fat.

While losing weight brings on many favorable results, such as ridding yourself of that interminable beer belly, note that losing excess belly fat will also improve your health considerably, giving you more time with your family and a higher quality of life. [img]