Abdominal obesity, also known as central obesity, is something
that many people worldwide have problems with. Once you hit
middle age, far too many people are plagued by those two
dreaded words...belly fat. It can, however, also be a problem for
children and teens.
People just look at it as a weight problem, but it can also be linked
to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, and many other
metabolic and vascular diseases.
Though no one likes belly fat, too often it is overlooked as just a
symptom of age. It can, however, be a symptom of much, much
more. It is not something you should just consider the price of
getting older. It is something that should be taken seriously.
Usually, belly fat is subcutaneous fat, which is underneath the skin.
If you have problems with abdominal fat, it may also be visceral
fat. This is also known as organ fat that is packed between your
internal organs. This is also known as the "pot belly" or the "beer
belly." It is associated with type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular
disease, and colorectal cancer.
In recent studies, scientists have come to realize that it isn't really
how much a person weighs—It's their amount of body fat that truly
indicates obesity.
Throughout the 1980's and 90's imaging techniques were
developed that helped improve the understanding of exactly how
many health risks can be associated with the accumulation of body
fat. These include tomography and magnetic resonance which
help divide masses of tissue in the abdominal region.
For women, belly fat is more common after menopause.
Sometimes, those people who just think this goes hand-in-hand
with getting older, and don't realize the danger it can cause. While
women feel like it is just something that makes them go up a size
in their jeans, it does carry health risks.
Like fat in any other area, it is determined by balancing your
calories you take in with the energy you burn. In other words, if
you eat too much and burn too little, you'll have excess fat. As you
get older, your muscle mass reduces. Your fat, however,
increases. When your muscle mass reduces, it also reduces the
rate your body uses calories. This can make it even more difficult
for people to maintain a weight that is healthy as they age.