How to Avoid and Control Fat Belly
The Big Apple” is a nickname for New York City, but it might as well refer to the entire country. Because Americans, research suggests, are getting more and more apple-shaped by the minute—adding inches to their bellies that pose an immediate threat to their health, happiness, even financial futures.
Fifty-four percent of U.S. adults now have central obesity (colloquially referred to as “belly fat,” and clinically defined as a waistline of more than 35 inches in women and more than 40 inches in men), up from 46 percent in 1999-2000, according to a September 2014 study from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The average U.S. waist circumference has also grown to an average 38.8 inches, up more than 1 inch in about a dozen years. It's more than a fashion crisis.
Belly fat, or visceral fat, is the most dangerous type of fat there is. This deadly fat wraps around the organs deep in your abdomen, spiking your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke and metabolic syndrome. You can’t see or pinch visceral fat, and it’s often associated with a large waist. Ditch it and you'll not only save your health, you'll also lose weight and trim your waistline.
The good news is you can start blasting both types of fat today with these 10 healthy habits, inspired by the New York Times bestseller Zero Belly Diet:
How bad can your calorie-free Diet Coke habit be for your belly? Belt-bustingly bad, researchers say. A study in the journal Diabetes Pro found that people who drank two or more diet sodas a day had waist-size increases that were six times greater than non-drinkers. Diet drinks are loaded with deceptively sweet artificial sweeteners, which, researchers say, trick the metabolism into thinking sugar is on its way, spike insulin levels, and shift the body from a fat-burning to a fat-storing state.
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