If you are apple-shaped, with a big waist and protruding tummy, you already know you are carrying too much fat. But even if you are slender, you may be packing fat without realising it – hidden deep in your abdominal cavity, around your heart, lungs, liver and other vital organs.
This is what doctors call visceral fat. And while you need a certain amount to cushion your organs, too much can cause serious health problems.
Fat cells aren’t simply where your body stores surplus energy when you eat too much and exercise too little. They are active, releasing vital hormones, and can cause inflammation which over time can raise your risk for chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, and breast and colorectal cancer.
You become particularly prone to unhealthy belly fat in middle age and after menopause, when your metabolism tends to slow and kilos can creep on.
Measure it
Place a tape measure at a point 1cm below your belly button and measure your waist. As a woman, if it’s over 80cm, consider losing weight, and if it’s over 88cm, that becomes crucial, says Cape Town endocrinologist Dr Wayne May. A man’s waist circumference should be under 94cm.
Beat it
1. Get moving
There’s no magic exercise to specifically shed belly fat – you need to burn fat generally. Do can do this with 30 minutes of moderate to brisk exercise a day, including cardio (running, cycling, swimming, aerobics or circuit training) and strength training (squats, pushups, weights).
If you’re already exercising but struggling to shed belly fat, amp up your routine: include bursts at greater speed. Several studies have shown that exercising in short bursts with rests in between burns more fat than exercising continuously.
2. Eat smartly
There is no magic diet, either, to specifically whittle belly fat. “In my practice I often find this to be the most stubborn fat,” says Johannesburg registered dietitian Debby Watkins.
A balanced diet based on vegetables and fruit, whole grains with a little lean protein and healthy oil (avocado, olive, canola) is the healthiest and most sustainable. Avoid refined and processed foods, especially those with sugars and trans fats, and avoid alcohol – several studies have shown that too much may encourage fat to be stored as visceral fat.
Watch portion size, and drink a plenty of water to help you feel full. Include plenty of soluble fibre: a study at the Wake Forest Baptist Medical Centre in the US found for every 10g of soluble fibre eaten daily, visceral fat decreased by 3.7% over the next five years. A half-cup of baked beans, kidney beans or lima beans provides about 3g of soluble fibre, as does a half cup of cooked green peas or a large raw apple (with its skin).
Best is to get a personalised eating plan from registered dietitian, says Watkins. “It’s not about a rigid diet plan, but more about making sustainable lifestyle changes that suit your family, focused on the guidelines above.”
3. Sleep tight
Getting enough zzzs may keep visceral fat at bay by helping to normalise your levels of the hormone cortisol, which can deplete lean muscle and hold on to abdominal fat. In a study at the University of Chicago in the US, dieters who slept 8.5 hours a night lost 55% more body fat over two weeks than those who got just 5.5 hours.
4. De-stress
Stress releases cortisol, so take steps to manage it. Make time to relax with family and friends – “just watching a family sitcom together can help,” says May. Exercise regularly to blow off steam and release feel-good endorphins, and get counselling if need be.
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