When you see your huge belly in the mirror, do you say, “Oh crap, I am going to die”?
No, you don’t. You say, “Oh crap, I look disgusting!”
Most people don’t know that the size of their stomach is a good indicator of their wellbeing.
People love to emphasize appearance, more so than their health. This is when bad things happen.
You need to put your wellness first and foremost. Vanity should come second.
So let’s dig deeper into why belly fat is dangerous and what you can do to get rid of it.
Why belly fat is dangerous, and what are the causes?
Belly fat is dangerous because it can kill you.
You have 2 types of fat in your stomach. One is called subcutaneous fat, which you can touch. It feels soft and cuddly.
The other resides in the depths of your stomach called visceral fat — the deadly fat.
Subcutaneous fat doesn’t do anything other than make you cute and plump. However, visceral fat is an active fat that can cause a slew of diseases.
Visceral fat attaches itself to your organs and releases toxins that can poison you over time.
Your chances of developing the following diseases increases when you have a rounded midsection:
- Diabetes
- Heart diseases
- Colon cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Breast cancer
- Susceptive to infections
- Longer hospital stays
Source: Lifestyle Factors and 5-Year Abdominal Fat Accumulation in a Minority Cohort: The IRAS Family Study
[source: The clinical importance of visceral adiposity: a critical review of methods for visceral adipose tissue analysis]
Now that I got your attention. If you know that belly fat can put you 6 feet under, would you be more concerned about how you look with your clothes off or not dying?
What causes belly fat?
You already know why having belly fat is dangerous; here is what makes belly fat.
An unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle causes belly fat.
When you eat more than you take out is how you gain weight, together with belly fat.
Think of belly fat as your wallet. The more cash you put in your purse, the bulkier it becomes. And if you don’t spend your money, your wallet will stay fat and thick.
Now, this is good if we are talking about your financial situation, but we are not.
The quality of the food you eat is also essential. If you are eating junk food like fries, crisps, or cakes most of the time, you are guaranteed to gain weight and other unhealthy side effects.
High fat, high salt, and high sugar diet are proven to cause obesity and a whole array of diseases.
So, moderate your food intake, and you need to spend the calories you ingested by either running, walking, or swimming. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you are moving.
There are many exercises you can do to help you lose weight, and eventually, your belly fat.
What causes belly fat in males?
The difference between men and women when it comes to belly fat causes is the excess consumption of alcohol.
Men are more likely to drink a higher amount of alcohol than women.
[source: Gender and alcohol consumption: patterns from the multinational GENACIS project.]
Alcohol contains calories, especially more so when they are mixed with other beverages.
Mixed drinks contain higher amounts of calories compared to a single shot of vodka.
Even if you opt for just a shot, a single shot contains 97 calories. Having 6 shots will take you to almost 600 calories.
What causes belly fat in females?
Other than eating unhealthy and living a sedentary lifestyle, there is a trait unique only to women to put on belly fat — menopause.
In addition to hot flashes, irregular periods, and mood changes, women tend to gain weight after menopause.
In a study of 22 pre- and 33 postmenopausal women, visceral and subcutaneous fats ran higher in postmenopausal women.
[source: Body fat distribution in pre-and postmenopausal women: metabolic and anthropometric variables.]
How to lose belly fat naturally
Losing belly fat naturally is about doing 2 things; exercising and watching what you eat.
Exercises like cycling, swimming, running, boxing, and HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) can get you to get rid of your fat belly.
Yes, losing belly fat requires a lot of effort, consistency, and mindset.
If you’re scared of hard work, then listen to what I am about to tell you.
You will be glad to know that you don’t have to be sweating like a pig to be burning fat. In fact, you are burning fat while you’re asleep.
Your body’s energy need is 24/7 to function appropriately, it doesn’t rest, even if you are.
The amount of calories you burn while sleeping depends on your BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate).
BMR is your daily calories burned for the entire day if you were not to do anything. For example, sleeping, sitting, staring at the wall, reading this article.
However, you still need to put a little bit of effort to maximize your weight loss potential.
To achieve fat loss, you have to work out your fat-burning zone.
To work out your fat-burning zone, you need to know your maximum heart rate.
Try our maximum heart rate calculator, then go to the fat-burning zone calculator to know your ideal heart rate to burn fat.
Make your own choice of workout that you can sustain for 30 minutes, 4x, or more a week.
With your heart rate elevated to the fat-burning zone, you will lose your belly fat in no time.
That is how to lose belly fat naturally.
Conclusion
Why is belly fat dangerous? It can kill you.
Belly fat should be taken more seriously.
Although displeasing to look at, there is something more sinister going on inside your stomach.
You have 2 kinds of fat, subcutaneous fat, and visceral fat.
The former is the cute one, and the latter is harmful.
You see, visceral fat attaches itself to your organs and slowly releases toxins into your system.
Over time, you will feel its effects and can lead you to an early grave.
Your top reason to get rid of your bulge in the middle should be to live a long and healthy life. And not just for vanity reasons.
The research is there. Your mortality rate increases with your belly fat.
A huge belly can have a detrimental effect on your health.
Reducing your chance of early death has to be your focus.
Make that change today. Start eating healthy. Workout 3 to 5 times a week and move your butt.
“Move it or lose it.”
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