What is Visceral Fat and How to Prevent It?

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Visceral fat  is a condition of abdominal fat caused by fat accumulation in the abdominal area, causing a potbelly, changing shape, having a waistline and being overweight. It may result in a risk of serious complications such as coronary artery disease, heart disease, osteoarthritis, fatty liver, making the body weaker, making it difficult to do daily activities such as moving. Therefore, you should study how to reduce fat and prevent abdominal fat or consult your doctor to receive a proper self-care plan.

What is visceral fat?

Visceral fat is a term used to refer to people who have abdominal fat. It is a condition in which the body accumulates fat in the deep abdominal cavity and surrounds important organs such as the liver, intestines, stomach, and may stick to the abdominal wall or blood vessels, which is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat. It is caused by eating too many carbohydrates and fats, such as fried foods, processed foods, sweets, sugary drinks, white bread, white rice, fatty meats, and lack of exercise. โปรโมชั่น ufabet And It can be observed from a protruding belly resembling an apple or pear, an excessive waist circumference, and weight gain.

How does visceral fat affect health?

Visceral fat may have the following health effects:

Osteoarthritis: 

Excess weight from fat accumulation can cause the knee joints to have to support body weight, which increases the risk of arthritis and osteoarthritis. This can be noticed by knee pain during movement and knee swelling.

Sleep apnea, 

because the fat that accumulates in the abdomen may cause the belly to protrude and become large, including the increased weight, affecting the compression of the chest wall and lungs, causing the lungs to not work at full efficiency, which can be observed from the symptoms of difficulty breathing, heavy snoring, and unconscious sleep apnea that may cause a violent awakening due to lack of air.

High blood sugar levels: 

Fat that accumulates in the abdomen and other parts of the body can lead to insulin resistance, a condition in which the body cannot use insulin effectively to manage blood sugar. This results in high blood sugar levels and increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Heart malfunction 

is caused by excessive accumulation of fat in the blood vessels, which can obstruct blood flow to the heart, which increases the risk of abnormal heartbeats, chest pain, difficulty breathing, dizziness, fainting, and the risk of heart attack, blood vessel disease, and heart disease.

Fatty liver: 

The accumulation of fat in the deep abdominal cavity over a long period of time can affect the liver’s function. Fat can surround the liver, which is responsible for fighting infection, making proteins for the body, producing bile that helps in digestion, and converting nutrients into energy. If fat is not reduced , it can lead to hepatitis, liver tissue damage and scarring that increases the risk of liver failure and liver cancer.

How to prevent Visceral fat

Here are some ways to prevent visceral fat:

Eat healthy food. 

Choose low-calorie foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products because they may make you feel full longer, help reduce snacking during the day, and prevent bad fat from accumulating in the abdomen. Also, you should avoid eating foods that are high in calories, carbohydrates, and bad fats such as white bread, white rice, sweets, fried foods, processed foods, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, and fruit juices that are sweetened with sugar because they may increase fat accumulation in the abdomen.

Read Nutrition Facts: 

Before purchasing food, condiments, snacks, and beverages, read the nutritional information on the product label to check if they are high in carbohydrates, calories, fat, and sugar. This will help control weight and reduce fat accumulation in the body.

You should not fast. 

Fasting is not the solution to losing weight and reducing fat, especially breakfast, which is an important meal that helps increase energy for the body to perform various activities in daily life. Moreover, fasting may also stimulate increased hunger, causing you to eat more in other meals, risking weight gain and leading to obesity.

Exercise regularly. 

Because exercise may help stimulate the body to burn fat and sugar from food into energy. Which prevents the accumulation of fat in the abdomen. You should exercise at least 30 minutes / day for 5 days / week, such as jogging, running on the treadmill, brisk walking, cycling, swimming, jumping rope. In addition, there are other forms of exercise that help reduce belly fat, which are specific postures such as planks, burpees, air cycling, V-ups, Basic Crunch. However, people with health problems such as asthma, heart disease, joint and knee problems may need to consult a doctor for a suitable exercise plan.

Reduce stress 

because stress can stimulate the body to produce cortisol, a stress hormone that increases your appetite, especially foods that are high in bad fat. This puts you at risk of eating unhealthy foods. So if you want to reduce stress, you can switch to eating healthy foods instead or relieve stress by doing activities you like, such as reading, taking a nap, walking around a shopping mall, or playing games.