You are not fat, but your belly is big? There are 6 major health risks hidden behind the small belly, don't ignore them

There are many kinds of fat. Some people are fat evenly distributed, but some people are only fat in the belly.

Xiaoli (pseudonym) has this kind of distress. She weighs less than 100 pounds and her limbs are very slender, but she has a belly that weighs like 120 pounds. She can't lose weight no matter how much she diets or exercises!

Even in the hot summer, I dare not wear beautiful dresses when going out, especially after someone offered me a seat on the subway when I was wearing a skirt (they mistakenly thought I was a pregnant woman), and I lost the courage to wear it.

Why is this so? Where does the belly fat come from?

In daily life, there are many people around us who have a "beer belly" or "small belly". This type of obesity is called abdominal obesity, also called central obesity or visceral obesity.

It refers to the excessive accumulation of body fat centered on the heart and abdomen, which increases the waist circumference, while the limbs appear not fat or thin relative to the obesity of the abdomen.

Diagnostic criteria for abdominal obesity

Measure waist circumference: If the waist circumference of a man is ≥90cm or above, and that of a woman is ≥85cm or above, it can be diagnosed as abdominal obesity.

Measure waist-to-hip ratio: If the waist-to-hip ratio of a man is ≥0.9 and the waist-to-hip ratio of a woman is ≥0.85, then the waist-to-hip ratio is considered to be outside the normal range and meets the diagnostic criteria for central obesity.

Look at the body shape: You can tell from the body shape. If you have an apple-shaped body, that is, a big belly and thin limbs, it is mostly abdominal obesity; if you have a pear-shaped body, that is, fat in the buttocks and thighs, not fat in the upper body but fat in the lower body, it is peripheral obesity.

I'm not fat, so why do I have a little belly?

There are many reasons for abdominal obesity, the most common reasons are:

1

Poor gastrointestinal function

It takes 20 minutes from the time a person starts eating until the brain receives the fullness signal to feel full.

If you eat too fast, when you feel full, you have actually exceeded your stomach's capacity, which will gradually expand your stomach and make indigestion more likely to occur.

When the food you consume contains too much fat and sugar and the energy is not fully consumed, it will be stored in the body as fat, causing obesity.

2

Excessive fat accumulation

Fat can not only be deposited under the skin, but also in the internal organs, which can easily lead to visceral obesity and cause an increase in abdominal circumference.

If you like to eat high-sugar, high-calorie, and high-fat foods on a regular basis, you will consume too much fat and protein. Coupled with lack of exercise, it will easily cause abdominal fat accumulation and induce abdominal obesity.

3

Long-term sitting

If you lack exercise and sit for a long time, the fat accumulated in your body will not be consumed, which is also one of the important factors leading to abdominal obesity.

4

Genetic factors

Obesity has genetic factors. If parents suffer from obesity, the chances of their children becoming obese will increase.

Studies have found that women, the elderly, people who lack exercise, smoke, and drink alcohol for a long time are more likely to suffer from abdominal obesity.

Increased waist circumference increases the risk of disease, beware of 6 major diseases!

As the saying goes, "an inch longer in waist circumference means a shorter life span." Studies have shown that for every 1.22cm increase in waist circumference, the risk of all-cause mortality increases by 19%; for every 1.32cm increase in waist circumference, the risk of cardiovascular death increases by 33%.

This shows how harmful abdominal obesity is to human health.

The fat cells accumulated in the abdomen are the most active, and excess fat can easily enter the blood or liver, which not only increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, but is also associated with many diseases and is considered malignant obesity.

1

Cardiovascular disease

Abdominal obesity is usually associated with high triglyceride (TG) and high apolipoprotein B (apoB) concentrations in the blood, leading to dyslipidemia and increasing the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, and stroke.

2

diabetes

Studies have found that the abdominal fat cells of patients with abdominal obesity are not only an energy storage organ, but also a secretory organ. They secrete a large number of pro-inflammatory factors, such as leptin, adiponectin, resistin, etc., which can directly or indirectly participate in the inflammatory response and lead to the formation of metabolic syndrome.

When too much abdominal fat accumulates, it can easily cause abnormal sugar metabolism and reduced insulin's ability to lower blood sugar, leading to unstable blood sugar and thus inducing diabetes.

Abdominal obesity is still one of the reasons why blood sugar is difficult to control in type 2 diabetes.

Another survey found that children with abdominal obesity are 10 times more likely to develop diabetes than thinner children.

3

Fatty liver

Most of the human body's organs are located in the abdomen. When there is obvious fat accumulation in the abdomen, it means that there is too much visceral fat.

Fatty liver is a disease characterized by the accumulation of abdominal fat and the pathological changes of liver cell fat.

A survey found that almost everyone in the apple-shaped obese group has fatty liver.

4

Hyperlipidemia

Abdominal fat is more metabolically active than fat in other parts of the body, and visceral fat is easier to break down, so it is more likely to enter the blood system, leading to hyperlipidemia.

5

Endocrine disorders

For women, the accumulation of fat in the abdomen will increase the secretion of estrogen in the body, causing endocrine dysfunction, which can easily induce diseases such as uterine fibroids, breast cancer, and cervical cancer.

In addition, obesity will affect the body's fat metabolism and the normal working of delipidation conversion enzymes, thereby leading to fat decomposition and conversion disorders, making the person more obese and causing more endocrine disorders.

6

cancer

The latest research shows that abdominal obesity is positively correlated with the incidence of cancers in 18 parts of the human body, such as gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, and bile duct cancer.

How to get rid of belly fat?

01

diet

Eat regularly and eat until you are 70% full. Don't drink beer, because drinking too much beer can easily cause a beer belly, which will make your belly bigger and bigger.

It is usually recommended to eat high-fiber, high-protein, low-fat, and low-calorie foods.

02

sports

You can do aerobic exercises such as jogging or cycling on a regular basis. The time does not need to be too long, 10 to 15 minutes at a time is enough.

Then massage your lower abdomen, either up and down or clockwise or counterclockwise, which can promote blood circulation in the abdomen and accelerate the decomposition and metabolism of fat.

You can also reduce fat, shape your body and eliminate belly fat through two training methods: plank support and flat crunches.

Plank

Plank is a muscle training method similar to push-ups. It is mainly performed in a prone position. It can effectively exercise the transverse abdominal muscles and is recognized as an effective method for training core muscles.

Training methods:

Lie prone, bend your elbows and support yourself on the ground, keep your shoulders and elbows perpendicular to the ground, and place your feet on the ground with your body off the ground.

Keep your torso straight, your head, shoulders, hips and ankles in the same plane, your abdominal muscles and pelvic floor muscles tightened, your spine extended, your eyes looking toward the ground, and your breathing evenly.

Hold each set for 60 seconds, do 4 sets each time, with no more than 20 seconds of rest between sets, and train more than four times a week.

Flat Crunches

The ground crunch is one of the most common abdominal exercises, mainly training the rectus abdominis muscle.

Training methods:

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the ground.

Cross your hands in front of your chest or place them beside your ears, lower your shoulders and abdomen, and slightly retract your chin. Raise your shoulder blades off the ground. Keep your waist fixed and lower your shoulder blades to the ground. Exhale upwards and inhale downwards. One up and one down counts as one time.

Do 15 to 25 reps in a set, with a rest period of 20 to 30 seconds after each set. Train more than four times a week.

03

Operation

If conservative treatments don't work, you may consider liposuction.

Liposuction surgery uses a metal tube that is inserted into the fat layer of the abdomen to gradually suck out the fat. Up to 3000 ml can be sucked out at a time. It is best to wear a body shaper after the surgery to help the fat heal quickly.

-END-

Source of this article: pexels (delete for infringement)