It’s no secret that having too much body fat could be bad for your health. You probably focus on how much you have, but another aspect worth paying attention to is fat distribution — or where you have it. Show
Turns out, there are certain places where having excess fat could be problematic. And there are other places where it might not be that big of a deal. How can you tell the difference? Here’s what you should know about fat distribution and what it can tell you about your health. Plus, here’s how you can achieve a better balance. 1. Where your fat is located isn’t totally in your control — especially as you get olderYou have plenty of say over your total amount of body fat. As for where that fat tends to show up? That can be a little harder to manage. Most people tend to accumulate fat either in their midsection or in their hips and thighs. But your genes, sex, age, and hormones could affect how much fat you have and where it goes. What determines fat allocation?
2. But there’s more than one type of body fat to pay attention toBelieve it or not, there are three. Not only does each one have a different function. They’re all located in different parts of your body. Fat typeWheresubcutaneousall over, but mostly around butt, hips, and thighsvisceralaround abs, but can’t be feltbrownshoulder and chest Here’s a breakdown of what these fat types are:
3. Subcutaneous, the ‘pinchable’ kind, actually has some important benefitsShare on Pinterest Subcutaneous fat is basically stored energy. Small amounts of it can be more helpful than you think. It pumps out hormones like leptin, which signal to the brain that you’re full and don’t need to keep eating. It also makes adiponectin, an anti-inflammatory hormone that plays a role in maintaining healthy blood sugar levels. In other words? Resist that urge to judge your jiggle. It can be a good thing. 4. Too much visceral fat can be dangerousBecause it’s stored around your vital organs, visceral fat can make its way into your liver. From there, it’s turned into cholesterol, which travels into the bloodstream and clogs up arteries. Visceral fat is also thought to signal the release of inflammatory chemicals and contribute to insulin resistance. Both of these processes can wreak havoc on the body. Excess visceral fat can increase risk of:
While it’s hard to recognize how much visceral fat you have, having too much is surprisingly common.Findings showthat 44 percent of women and 42 percent of men have excess visceral fat. The most precise way to measure the amount in your body is with an MRI or CT scan. Measuring visceral fat at home, at a glanceIf you’re a woman with a waist circumference greater than 35 inches or a man with a waist circumference greater than 40 inches, there’s a good chance you have too much visceral fat. 5. BMI isn’t always the best predictor of healthy body fat levelsShare on Pinterest You’re more likely to have too much visceral fat if your body mass index (BMI) falls in the overweight (25 to 29.9) or obese (30 or above) category. But you shouldn’t rely on BMI alone to tell you whether your body fat falls in the healthy range, says Ayoob. Research showsthat 22 percent of men and 8 percent of women who are considered normal weight actually have too much visceral fat. (And are at risk for the health problems that can come with it.) The opposite can also be true. Around22 percent of men and 10 percentof women with obesity have levels of visceral fat that fall within the normal range. The takeaway? It’s just as important to pay attention to the amount of fat around your midsection as the number on the scale. 6. Your lifestyle factors can affect how much visceral fat builds upYour body doesn’t have all the say over where your fat tends to live. Certain lifestyle factors also play a role. Share on Pinterest Here are three common habits that cause visceral fat to build up:
7. Six ways to achieve healthier fat distributionYou might not have complete control over where your body prefers to store fat. Still, that doesn’t mean there aren’t steps you can take to keep excess fat from ending up in potentially harmful places, like deep in your belly. Share on Pinterest 6 tips for healthy fat distribution
Don’t try all these steps at once if it seems overwhelming. Enjoying the baby steps and building lifelong habits is more effective and healthier for yourself. If anything, remember this key tip: Watch your portions overall. When you eat too much of any food — even healthy ones — the extra calories your body doesn’t need get stored as fat. Can you feel your body storing fat?This makes up about 90 percent of our fat stores. Visceral fat sits deep inside the abdominal cavity. It surrounds vital organs like the liver, intestines, and heart. Unlike subcutaneous fat, you can't touch or feel it.
What triggers fat storage?Insulin levels control the fat building process. The fatty acids are absorbed from the blood into fat cells, muscle cells and liver cells. In these cells, under stimulation by insulin, fatty acids are made into fat molecules and stored as fat droplets. How insulin is produced is triggered by what we dump in our bodies.
How do I get my body out of fat storing mode?Workout For More Than 30 Minutes: With 30 minutes of exercise, the body uses up glycogen stored in the muscles and when that gets exhausted, it reaches out to stored fat for energy. So, try to exercise for 40 minutes to 1 hour to burn more fat and lower the chances of fat storage.
How long does it take for your body to start storing fat?A 2012 study at Oxford University found that the fat in your food ends up on your waistline in less than four hours. Carbohydrate and protein take a little longer, because they need to be converted into fat in the liver first and it takes nine calories of protein or carbohydrate to make 1g of fat.
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