Many women notice an increase in belly fat as they grow older .This is because of heredity, hormonal changes or aging-related weight gain, — and especially after menopause. When compared to other locations in your body,gaining fat in your abdomen is particularly unhealthy .This is because that excess belly fat increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and certain types of cancers.
Why fat gathers more in your abdomen?
Women experience an even greater fat percentage increase than men do because as they age and that their metabolism slows down, the amount of fat in the body slowly increases. Your body fat distribution tends to shift after menopause —You will get less in your arms, legs and hips, but more in your abdomen.
Fats that lie deep into your abdomen are called Visceral fats. Visceral fat has been linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and other health problems. Subcutaneous fat on the other hand is located between the skin and the abdominal wall, is more visible but also less likely to be a health risk.
While a decreased physical activity and a slowing metabolism contribute to overall weight gain as you age, those factors don't influence visceral fat accumulation directly. Heredity may be the cause as you may simply have inherited a tendency to gain weight in your midsection. Also,too much fat concentrated in the midsection in women of normal weight is unhealthy. Hormonal changes also play a role after menopause .These changes may alter the way that your body breaks down and stores fat, leading to more fat accumulating in your belly.
Too much belly fat increases your risk of high blood pressure,breast cancer,metabolic syndrome,heart disease,gallbladder problems and diabetes.
It has been found that abdominal fat cells are not just dormant energy waiting to be burned up. The cells are active and produce hormones and other substances that can affect your health. For instance these cells can promote insulin resistance, a precursor to type II diabetes; other cells can produce estrogen after menopause, which may increase your breast cancer risk.
Researchers are still sorting out how the excess hormones affect overall health, but they do know for sure that too much visceral fat can disrupt the body's normal hormonal balance.
In fact, BMI {body mass index} may not be an accurate measure of body fat percentage or fat distribution, particularly after menopause.
A waist measurement of 35 inches or more in women of healthy weight indicates an unhealthy concentration of abdominal fat. Researchers have also shown that a measurement of 33 inches or more, no matter what your weight, increases your health risks.
Being given that visceral fat is buried deep in your abdomen, it may seem like a difficult target for spot reduction. You can get rid of visceral fat by following a regular exercise routine and a healthy diet. Targeted tummy exercises can help to lose belly fat,firm the abdominal muscles and flatten the belly.
By doing a daily exercise moderate in intensity is the best way to lose belly fat — When you lose weight and tone your muscles,your belly fat begins to shrink too . In fact,when you start exercising, you may notice that your tummy bulge is the first area to shrink. The type and amount of exercise you should will all depend on your current activity level and your health goals. Seek your doctor's advice about the right exercise program to promote good health and specifically combat abdominal fat.
Strength training to lose belly fat in women. Some research has shown that weight exercises are effective in trimming tummy fat. Get advice from your doctor about how to incorporate strength training in your exercise routine.
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