Visceral fat is body fat stored in the abdominal cavity, surrounding the major organs like the liver, intestines and pancreas. High levels of visceral fat can thus put a person at risk of a variety of dangerous diseases and health conditions. For instance, too much visceral fat in your system can make it hard for you to produce insulin. This increases the risk of type-2 diabetes. Hence, learning to measure and reduce visceral fat is important.
Although getting an extremely accurate measurement would require a costly CT scan, there are three simpler ways to measure how much of this dangerous fat you have. Being healthy in life is vital. However. there are various effective ways to guide on how to measure visceral fat & reduce it in a successful manner.
How to Reduce Visceral Fat
Excessive visceral fat usually results from lack of exercise and a poor diet, so how can you rid yourself of it? Harvard Health Publishing, recommends eating right to start off. Make sure you have a balanced diet to achieve and maintain your weight. You should include loads of calcium.
According to the University of Alabama (Birmingham) study, if a woman consumes more calcium she gains less visceral fat. Avoid anything that seems to encourage belly fat deposits, such as fructose-sweetened beverages or foods and trans fats (hydrogenated vegetable oils).
You should also lose the booze. Alcohol, without you realizing, makes you gain weight around your mid-section. By binging on beer, cocktails or wine, it’s so simple to consume hundreds, even thousands, of liquid calories. Extra alcohol units also stress the liver, which already works to break down the toxic visceral fatty acids. Give your stomach a break–alternate with water or other sugar-free beers. According to a study on heart health, dieting causes you to lose only white fat, instead of visceral fat. To guarantee visceral fat loss, combine healthy food with a good fitness routine– both are essential for hormone regulation.
Other ways of getting rid of visceral fat include getting enough sleep, not smoking, and being mindful of your mood.
How to Measure Visceral Fat
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Body Shape
Your body shape help determine how much fat your body stores. The shape of a pear body is characterized by big hips, slender shoulders and arms, and gaining weight in the back and feet. When your body is very heavy from the top, apple body shape forms. Pears are inclined to store fat as subcutaneous fat in the lower limbs (hips, buttocks and thighs) while apples generally store fat as visceral fat in the upper region (chest and belly).
Australia’s obesity levels are now on par with the United States but slightly less than New Zealand
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Waist-to-hip Ratio
This ratio covers your waist’s circumference and divides it by your hips ‘ circumference. Stand in front of your mirror to measure your hips, determine the widest part of your butt and measure the circumference. Then use this formula: Waist-to-hip ration = waist circumference/hip circumference. Men ought to have less than one WHR while females ought to have less than 0.8 WHR.
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Waist Circumference
An easy way to measure visceral fat is by looking at the size of your waist. Here’s how you should measure your waist circumference: Feel the top of your hip bone and circle a tape measure around this. Remember to relax and not suck your gut in. Take 2 to 3 measurements and determine the average.
Male waist circumference should be less than 40 inches (102cm) and females’ below 35 inches (89cm).
