How the belly can hurt your heart and tips to reduce it

Belly fat is bad for cardiovascular health even if you're not overweight: research confirms.

Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous

The fat that accumulates on the belly, the so-called "bacon" significantly increases the risk of heart disease, much more than in other places and even if you are not overweight: research confirms.

Fat on the belly? Whether you like it or not, those love handles must be eliminated. Having a fat abdomen doubles the risk of heart attack even if you are not obese. Those who have a normal weight, in fact, run a higher risk of heart disease if they have excess fat at the waist, compared to obese who have a more uniform distribution of fat.

This is confirmed by a study conducted at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, which reiterates that belly fat is bad for cardiovascular health even if you are not overweight.

An analysis by the same American clinic had already shown in 2015 on a sample of almost 15 thousand how having abdominal fat, even if you are overall thin, is even more dangerous than being obese.

Now, the new research confirms this view after tracking 1.692 Olmsted County, Minnesota residents aged 45 and over, a representative sample of the county's population by age and gender. Participants underwent clinical evaluation and measurements of their weight, height, hip measurement and waist circumference. After that, the researchers defined the so-called "central obesity”, In a ratio that divides the waist circumference by the hip circumference, equal to or greater than 0,90 for men and 0,85 or greater for women.

The initial study ran from 1997 to 2000, and follow-up evaluations continued through 2016. The researchers found that people with normal BMI and central obesity were twice as likely to suffer from heart problems than to participants without central obesity, regardless of their BMI.

“People with a normal weight but a fat belly are more likely to have heart problems than people without a fat belly, even if they are obese according to the BMI. This body shape indicates a sedentary lifestyle, low muscle mass and consumption of too many refined carbohydrates, ”explains Dr Medina-Inojosa.

And the reverse would also be true: People with a higher BMI but no belly fat likely have more muscle tissue, which is a sign of better health.

"The belly is usually the first place where fat is deposited, so people classified with BMI overweight, but without a fat belly, probably have more muscle that is good for health," Medina-Inojosa continued. The muscle is like a metabolic warehouse and helps to reduce the levels of lipids and sugars in the blood ”.

What the study would like to demonstrate, in short, is that, however useful BMI may be, it can also be misleading and deceive patients into a sense of false security.

"Our study provides evidence that doctors should also measure central obesity to get a better picture of whether a patient is at risk," concludes Medina-Inojosa.

What is left for us to do then? Say goodbye to pancetta absolutely! Here you will find 10 moves to deflate your stomach and have a flat abdomen and here are the ways to reduce each type of belly.
In the video below, you will find all the tips and tricks to say goodbye to a bulky abdomen.