Why Excess Belly Fat is More Deadly Than You Think

In my last post, I commented on a recent research study finding that most overweight and obese people have misconception about their actual weights.

These overweight or obese participants in the study underestimated their actual weights. They "thought" or "perceived" their weights were about right or average although in fact they're overweight or obese by BMI measurement.

Granted, BMI (Body Mass Index) is not the true best indicator of weight status and body composition. It's still the most straightforward measurement. Body fat measurement and distribution along with lean muscle mass would be the better method.

In my personal experience, most overweight or obese people acknowledge that they gain some weight and need to do something about it. They are self-conscious about their overweight bodies. But they are simply too comfortable with their weights, partly because over 65% U.S. population is overweight or obese. The U.S. obesity epidemic continutes to grow. When you see so many (two out of three) out-of-shape people everyday and everywhere, you're used to it - big! The used-to-be "overweight" now becomes "normal" or "average."

Perhaps you feel OK to be overweight since it's accepted in your circle of friends - all of them are like me or even bigger.

So what's the big deal that I just have "a little" belly fat?! I feel OK, better than my friends with "big" pot belly or beer gut. You can comfort youself by thinking that I still have my six pack abs underneath that thick layer of abdominal fat. They're just covered.

Well, "a little" can grow slightly bigger, and then bigger and bigger if you don't take care of yourself. Fat isn't accumulated in one day or a month. You don't just go out to binge for one night, and boom, you gain 10 pounds of weight (fat) overnight. All big starts from small over a period of time.

Out of excess body fat in different body areas, belly fat is the most dangerous and is more deadly than you think. There are many health risks associated with excess belly fat. For most men, the risk factors for heart disease and other diseases increase with a waist size over 40 inches (102 centimeters).

In the following article, Mike Geary, the founder of TruthAboutAbs.com, explained why excess belly fat is more deadly than you think and how you can minimize your health risks. Mike is the six-pack-abs guru, a certified nutrition specialist and personal trainer.

By Mike Geary, Truth About Abs:

Did you know that the vast majority of people in this day and age have excess abdominal fat?The first thing that most people think of is that their extra abdominal fat is simply ugly, is covering up their abs from being visible, and makes them self conscious about showing off their body.

However, what most people don't realize is that excess abdominal fat in particular, is not only ugly, but is also a dangerous risk factor to your health. Scientific research has clearly demonstrated that although it is unhealthy in general to have excess body fat throughout your body, it is also particularly dangerous to have excess abdominal fat.

There are two types of fat that you have in your abdominal area. The first type that covers up your abs from being visible is called subcutaneous fat and lies directly beneath the skin and on top of the abdominal muscles.

The second type of fat that you have in your abdominal area is called visceral fat, and that lies deeper in the abdomen beneath your muscle and surrounding your organs. Visceral fat also plays a role in giving certain men that "beer belly" appearance where their abdomen protrudes excessively but at the same time, also feels sort of hard if you push on it.

Both subcutaneous fat and visceral fat in the abdominal area are serious health risk factors, but science has shown that having excessive visceral fat is even more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. Both of them greatly increase the risk your risk of developing heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, sleep apnea, various forms of cancer, and other degenerative diseases.

Part of the reason visceral fat is particularly dangerous is that it apparently releases more inflammatory molecules into your body on a consistent basis.

If you care about the quality of your life and your loved ones, reducing your abdominal fat should be one of your TOP priorities! There's just no way around it. Besides, a side-effect of finally getting rid of all of that excessive ugly abdominal fat is that your stomach will flatten out, and if you lose enough stomach fat, you will be able to visibly see those sexy six pack abs that everyone wants.

So what gets rid of extra abdominal fat? Is there actually a REAL solution beyond all of the gimmicks and hype that you see in ads and on commercials for "miracle" fat loss products?

The first thing you must understand is that there is absolutely NO quick fix solution.

There are no pills or supplements of any sort that will help you lose your abdominal fat faster. Also, none of the gimmicky ab rockers, rollers, or ab belts will help get rid of abdominal fat either. You can't spot reduce your stomach fat by using any of these worthless contraptions. It simply doesn't work that way.

The ONLY solution to consistently lose your abdominal fat and keep it off for good is to combine a sound nutritious diet full of unprocessed natural foods with a properly designed strategic exercise program that stimulates the necessary hormonal and metabolic response within your body. Both your food intake as well as your training program are important if you are to get this right.

I've actually even seen a particular study that divided thousands of participants into a diet-only group and an exercise/diet group. While both groups in this study made good progress, the diet-only group lost significantly LESS abdominal fat than the diet & exercise combined group.

Now the important thing to realize is that just any old exercise program will not necessarily do the trick. The majority of people that attempt getting into a good exercise routine are NOT working out effectively enough to really stimulate the loss of stubborn abdominal fat. I see this everyday at the gym. Most people will do your typical boring ineffective cardio routines, throw in a little outdated body-part style weight training, and pump away with some crunches and side bends, and think that they are doing something useful for reducing their abdominal fat. Then they become frustrated after weeks or months of no results and wonder where they went wrong.

Well, the good news is that I've spent over a decade researching this topic, analyzing the science, and applying it "in the trenches" with myself as well as thousands of my clients from all over the world to see what works to really stimulate abdominal fat loss. The entire solution... all of the nutritional strategies, as well as training sequences, exercise combinations, and more have all been compiled in my Truth About Six Pack Abs Program.

Keep in mind that the point of this whole program is NOT abdominal exercises (that is only a very small portion of it). The main point of this program is showing you the absolute most effective strategies for losing your stubborn abdominal fat, so you can get rid of that dangerous health risk, as well as get a flatter more defined midsection. If you follow the guidelines, you WILL lose your belly fat that has been plaguing you for years. This is not guesswork... it is a proven system that works time and time again for all of my clients on every corner of the globe that actually apply the information I teach. If you apply it, the results will come. It's really that simple.

The only reason most people fail in their fitness goals is that they have good intentions at first to adopt a new lifestyle, yet after a few weeks or months, they abandon their good intentions and slip right back into their old bad habits that gave them the excess body fat in the first place. I want to help you succeed in finally getting rid of that extra abdominal fat that is not only UGLY, but also DANGEROUS. Don't waste another day allowing that nasty abdominal fat to kill your confidence as well as contribute to your risk for MAJOR diseases.

Get the solution to rid yourself for life of this belly fat problem at Truth About Abs.

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