Health Dangers of Carrying Extra Weight In Your Midsection

Even though obesity and being overweight consists of carrying excess fat in several areas of your body, the midsection is the spot most associated with being overweight. Both men and women pack on excess abdominal fat as they gain weight, but it is men who seem most at risk when it comes to serious health issues brought on by extra abdominal fat. If you have questions about weight loss in O'Fallon, contact our team today.

Abdominal Fat and Males

The research that is floating around out there about men and extra abdominal fat is quite frightening. Carrying extra weight and inches in your midsection can open the door to several serious health conditions. Increased risk of cardiovascular disease is one possibility, as is an increased risk of insulin sensitivity and diabetes.

Men who carry this extra padding around the middle don’t only carry it close to the surface; they carry it deeper inside the abdomen, as well. This deeper fat, known as visceral fat, can surround the internal organs, which increases the risk of health issues like the ones mentioned above.

Factors Affecting Belly Fat

Whether you are male or female, it is important to balance the calories coming in with the calories going out. As an example, having a sedentary job and lifestyle while eating three or more meals per day will probably cause you to gain weight in your abdomen and elsewhere.

Normal aging is also a factor in gaining belly fat, as most of us start losing muscle mass as we age. Genetics can also play a part, but most of the time it is related to your lifestyle. If you find that you are packing on extra weight in your midsection as you age, you might have to reduce your average caloric intake and move your body more to compensate.

Waist Circumference Measurement

One of the simpler ways to figure out if you have a weight problem in your midsection is to do a waist circumference measurement. This refers to the distance around the smallest part of your midsection below your rib cage but above your belly button. When matched with your age and height, your result will determine whether you are in a healthy range or need to trim away some inches.

Heart disease and diabetes are no laughing matter, so it’s important to take your abdominal fat seriously and take measures to reduce it. Even if you feel fine and aren’t showing signs of these problems, the risk is always there.

It's time to take charge of your health. Contact our weight loss team at SlimCo Medical Weight Loss today.