For most people, having six pack abs is a worthy goal because it makes you look slim, sexy and healthy. In contrast, the ‘beer belly’ look is deemed to be unsightly and is something to stay away from for that reason alone. The majority of the population know that having excess fat around the abdominal region is bad but not everyone knows why. The worldwide level of obesity is reaching endemic proportions with more than half of the population of ‘developed’ nations such as the US and UK deemed to be overweight or obese. Although you should pay attention to the scale, it’s also vital that you analyse your waist size as well because it could be the key to better health.

Visceral Fat

It has been discovered that people with large waists are likely to have extremely high levels of hidden fat around their organs. Those who are aware of the dangers of abdominal fat are usually thinking of subcutaneous fat which is essentially external fat that covers up your abdominal region and prevents you from having six pack abs. Although you are encouraged to take steps towards removing subcutaneous fat as it is harmful to your health, it is even more important to remove the hidden fat which is also known as visceral fat.

Both forms of fat increase your risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and differing forms of cancer but visceral fat has the potential to be far more deadly than subcutaneous fat. It is important to note that the level of visceral fat depends entirely on the individual. Two people with 30% body fat may have totally different visceral fat levels. One of the reasons for a high visceral fat level could be a diet that is high in carbohydrates which causes insulin resistance over the course of time. The excess blood sugar cannot be handled by the body which leads to more visceral fat than is normal.

Theories

At present, scientists are not yet 100% sure why visceral fat is more dangerous than its subcutaneous equivalent though there are several working theories. The portal theory was one of the most popular until recently. This suggested that fat secretes fatty acids in close proximity to the liver which may account for health problems such as diabetes and heart disease. However, this theory has been all but jettisoned in favour of another which states that inflammatory molecules are released into the body on a regular basis.

According to medical experts, men who have a waist size of over 40 inches and women with a waist size of over 35 inches are at the greatest risk of developing health problems due to excess fat around their midsection. However, these figures are more ‘red flag’ numbers with health problems possibly manifesting themselves in individuals with waists a few inches smaller. One thing that medical experts do agree on is the fact that there is no simple solution. There are no pills, supplements or expensive equipment that will quickly remove abdominal fat.

Getting Slimmer

If you have an excessive amount of abdominal fat, the best way to remove it is through a combination of good nutrition and exercise. Your diet should include as few processed foods as possible while the exercise should be intense and frequent. Interval training combined with weight training is one of the best methods of lowering your abdominal fat levels.

Even those who have large waists could potentially have six pack abs, everyone can. Remember, even overweight people have abdominal muscles; it’s just a question of removing the abdominal fat that covers these muscles. As the information above tells you, six pack abs are not just great to look at, they can also be a sign of good health.