There is an epidemic in Western countries, and few people know about it. It’s an epidemic of visceral fat, a deep-seated type of fat that builds up around vital organs, like the liver, and is linked to health problems like diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
You might assume that only overweight or obese people have too much visceral fat, but that’s not the case. Lean people, particularly inactive people and older people, may have enough visceral fat to increase their risk of chronic health problems. They may look skinny, but they are unhealthy because they have too much visceral fat and other indicators of poor health.
While it’s not easy to reduce visceral fat, science shows that there are ways to reduce your body’s visceral fat load and simultaneously improve your health.
Signs of excess visceral fat
How do you know if you’re tipping the scales in terms of visceral fat? One sign that you have too much visceral fat is the size of your waist. If your waist is larger than half your height, you have too much visceral fat.
For example, a person who is five feet six inches, or 66 inches, should have a waist size of less than 33 inches. In general, the guidelines say that a waist size of more than 35 inches in men and 30 inches in women is a marker of too much visceral fat.
The only way to really know how much visceral fat you have is to do an imaging study. But waist size is still a good marker, so check your waist size with a tape measure at least once a month and record the value.
If your waist size shows you have too much visceral fat, what can you do about it?
eat more fiber
Soluble fiber absorbs water and forms a gel that helps slow down food as it passes through the digestive system. This can help you feel full longer and reduce the number of calories you absorb from other foods. In addition, fiber helps control blood glucose.
One way to reduce visceral fat is to eat more high-fiber foods. Fiber is the part of plant foods that your body can’t digest, so it helps you feel full longer and keeps your digestive system healthy. Fiber-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes (such as beans and lentils).
Strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are also important sources of soluble and insoluble fiber and are rich in nutrients. They also have many other health benefits, including being anti-inflammatory and rich in antioxidants, which help protect against cardiovascular disease and other chronic health problems. Non-starchy vegetables, lentils, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are other rich sources of fiber.
Manage stress
Stress increases cortisol, a stress hormone that increases visceral fat. When your body produces too much cortisol, it shifts where your body stores fat to your midsection and increases deeper visceral fat. Make sure you don’t let chronic stress take control of your life and health. Reduce stress levels with activities for the mind and body, such as yoga and meditation, taking a walk in nature, or taking a hot bath.
Focus on sleep quality
Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for health and well-being. Many people don’t realize how important sleep is for immune health, brain function, and more. Additionally, numerous studies show that lack of sleep increases the stress hormone cortisol and increases visceral fat.
One study showed that people who slept 5 hours or less per night had more visceral fat than those who slept 7 hours or more per night. So try to get 7-8 hours of sleep every night to keep visceral fat in check. Also, not getting enough sleep increases the appetite hormone, ghrelin, so you crave sugary foods and eat more. As you gain weight from eating sugary foods, your body stores some of it as visceral fat. Make sure you get at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night.
Reduce your sugar intake
One way to reduce visceral fat is to reduce your intake of sugar, another contributor to visceral fat. Beware! Sugar is found in most ultra-processed foods and beverages, including fruit juices. It also appears in foods that are high in fat, such as candy and ice cream, and those that are high in carbohydrates, such as bread and pasta. It is everywhere!
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that sugars make up less than 10% of total energy intake each day. This means that if you eat 2,000 calories a day, no more than 200 calories should come from sugar. How can you reduce your sugar intake to control visceral fat?
Replace sugary drinks with plain water. Sodas and fruit drinks are loaded with sugar. If you drink at least one sugary drink a day, replacing those calories with water could save you hundreds of calories each week. Furthermore, studies show that sugary drinks are the main contributors to visceral fat.
Know where the sugar is hiding. It’s in everything from ketchup and salad dressings to bread, pasta and yogurt. You may not realize how much sugar you’re consuming until you start counting grams. The best way to do this is by keeping a food diary for a few days.
Read labels carefully. This can be time consuming, but it’s worth it if you want to know exactly what’s in the food you’re eating. Pay special attention to ingredients listed at the end of a list: These are items that manufacturers add for flavor or texture, so they’re often full of added sugars. Even better, avoid packaged foods altogether!
Stay physically active with exercises that work large muscle groups
Physical activity is a must if you’re trying to tame visceral fat. You’ll get the most benefit from exercises that work large muscle groups, such as those in your lower body. These larger muscles burn more calories and fat and have a greater effect on hormones that regulate weight and control blood sugar. Focus on squats, deadlifts, and dynamic exercises like running or cycling.
Exercise improves insulin sensitivity and reduces inflammation in the body, which can help with weight loss and visceral fat loss. You can reduce visceral fat by staying physically active with exercises that work large muscle groups.
Walking is the most common form of exercise that people do, but you’ll get more benefit from adding hills and short bursts of higher-intensity exercise, like walking as fast as you can.
But don’t ignore the benefits of strength training. Focus on exercises that work the large muscles in your lower body, like squats and deadlifts, to get the most bang for your buck.
conclusion
The bottom line here is that healthy lifestyle changes can help you manage visceral fat. If you are already doing these things, keep it up and be patient. You can monitor your progress by checking your waist size weekly and seeing if it is shrinking.
References:
- “How to get rid of visceral fat – Healthline”. August 22, 2017, healthline.com/nutrition/lose-visceral-fat.
- “The effect of exercise on visceral adipose tissue in overweight adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis” by Dirk Vissers, Wendy Hens, Jan Taeymans, Jean-Pierre Baeyens, Jacques Poortmans, and Luc Van Gaal, February 8, 2013, PLUS ONE.
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056415 - “Sugary Beverage Consumption Is Associated With Visceral Fat in Children” by Claire Gallagher, George Moschonis, Katrina A. Lambert, Eva Karaglani, Christina Mavrogianni, Stavroula Gavrili, Yannis Manios, and Bircan Erbas, August 19, 2020, British Journal of Nutrition.
DOI: 10.1017/S0007114520003256 - “The Effects of Fiber on Visceral Fat” by Yoona Kim, Jan 11, 2019, Nutrition in the Prevention and Treatment of Abdominal Obesity (Second Edition).
DOI: 10.1016/B978-0-12-816093-0.00031-8
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