You can hardly watch an hour of television or go online these days without seeing ads or sponsored posts for supplements or miracle diets that claim to cut ‘stubborn belly fat’. The problem is, say scientists, those tricks and diets don’t actually work. But there is a way, if you’re patient and consistent…
Folks of any age can beat their belly fat and reduce their risk of heart disease
and diabetes just by walking briskly for a few blocks every day…
If you want to reduce your waistline, there are proven ways to do it. And doing so can help you lower health risks on a number of fronts. But don’t waste your money on ‘miracle’ diets, supplements or other products you may have heard of, cautions Dr. Kari D. Pilolla of the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo.
“There is still no miracle diet, food, nutrient, or bioactive component that will target abdominal fat,” Pilolla writes, in an article published recently in ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal. These risks are mainly related to visceral adipose tissue – fat stored below the abdominal muscles, surrounding the major internal organs. Visceral adipose tissue appears to be more ‘metabolically active’ than subcutaneous fat, stored under the skin but above the abdominal muscles.
The overall picture…
Abdominal obesity is estimated to effect at least 54 percent of Americans today and the problem is growing. How can you tell if you’re abdominally obese? Just measure your waistline. If it’s greater than 34 in. (in women) or 40 in. (in men), you’ve got an issue. And risk of abdominal obesity increases with age, especially in women, and with changes in hormone levels, Pilolla notes.
What’s an unhappy, chubby gal to do?
Just follow a healthy diet high in Fibre and low in Saturated and Trans-Fats, Pilolla suggests: “These recommendations are consistent with heart-healthy diets like the NIH-developed Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and the Mediterranean-style diet.”
You won’t get immediate results on your waistline, but they will come. And you’ll not only reduce your waistline but reduce your risk of developing other diseases and conditions that are plaguing western society. It’s a win-win thing!
And don’t forget to add exercise to your routine to optimize your results. Just walking briskly a few blocks a day is a good way to start, especially of you’re older and your back and knees have started to give out. For younger folks, walking has major advantages over jogging or running in that it’s much less stressful on your knees and feet and, thus, less likely to cause joint complications as you grow older!
~ Maggie J.