The new study, which was published in Frontiers of Public Health, was led by the same team which concluded early this year that three-fourths of the world’s population was overfat. The authors of this report decided to identify the top 30 developed countries using United Nations (U.N.) data. This was then compared to the 2013 Global Burden of Disease study, which showed the prevalence of obesity in adults and children from 1980 to 2013.
It was calculated that a whopping 90 percent of men in countries like the U.S., New Zealand, and even Greece and Ireland could be classified as “overfat.” This applied to men who would technically not even be considered obese by conventional standards. Using the BMI formula, those whose index is equal to or greater than 25 are obese. A person’s body mass index is measured by calculating a person’s height (in kilograms) over their height squared (in centimeters). It is a good baseline for overall health, but does not paint the full picture. A BMI score does not, for example, determine where the fat is being stored. This is crucial. Health studies are now proving that excess abdominal fat is the most dangerous form of body fat that can be carried. Having that belly bulge is associated with countless health risks such as insulin problems, heart diseases, and even early death.
Measuring for excess abdominal fat is simpler than computing for one’s BMI, too. Simply measure the size of your waist (right below your belly button) and divide this by your height. Anything above 0.54 is considered obese, and extremely risky.
Researchers Philip Maffetone, Ivan Rivera-Dominguez, and Paul B. Laursen also said that the rate of abdominal adiposity among adults and children has dramatically increased in only a few years. The growth is also linked to the ever-increasing incidences of insulin-resistance, other metabolic conditions, and cardiovascular disease. Being overfat was also noted to make people more vulnerable to chronic inflammation; a condition which raises the risk of abnormal blood fat levels and an elevated blood pressure.
This is a “belly” bad situation
Losing visceral fat can be more effective when you take the proper steps in both nutrition and exercise. Listed below are a few tips.
- Eat more soluble fiber - This type of fiber absorbs water, which slows down food as it passes through the digestive system. Fiber also promotes weight loss by making you feel fuller for longer and decreases the amount of calories the body absorbs from food. Try eating more flaxseeds, Brussel sprouts, and other legumes.
- Don’t drink alcohol - They don’t call it “beer belly” for no reason. Excessive alcohol consumption can cause you to store more fat around the waist.
- Cut back on sugar - Processed sugar can increase the rate in which abdominal fats are stored. In fact, several studies have shown an association between high sugar and excess abdominal weight.
Another important aspect to consider is to regularly exercise -- particularly those that target the waist area.
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