Belly Fat …How Much Is Too Much?

You don’t have to be overweight to have too much belly fat: It’s about inches, not pounds. Measure your waist around the bellybutton. Rule of thumb: Women should keep their waistline below 35 inches; and men, below 40 inches.  If your measurements are smaller but you notice your waist circumference has increased one or two inches, that’s also a warning sign.

There are two types of fat: the subcutaneous, or “pinchable,” kind that collects just under the skin - and, unless you’re obese, poses no health threat - and visceral fat, which develops deep inside the abdomen. “Visceral fat appears to be metabolically more active than fat that settles elsewhere,” says Pamela Peeke, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and author of Fit to Live: The 5-Point Plan to Be Lean, Strong, & Fearless for Life (Rodale Books, 2007). This visceral fat - belly fat, in plain English - interferes with liver function. In particular, it hampers the processing of cholesterol and insulin - and may also compromise the function of other tissues and systems. In December a study conducted at the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam found links between belly fat and capillary inflammation (a contributor to heart disease) and between belly fat and insulin resistance (a precursor to diabetes).

Unfortunately the flow of fat from our arms, legs, and hips to our stomachs is a natural part of aging. “Up until about age 40, estrogen in women and testosterone in men controls fat allocation, keeping it away from the abdomen,” Peeke says. “Once these hormones decline, it becomes easier for excessive calories to be stored deep inside the belly.”

While you can’t control the buildup of belly fat, your lifestyle habits can influence how much midlife fat you accumulate. Read on for your complete guide to banishing belly fat forever.

Helpful Terms Defined:

Epidermis - The outermost layer of the skin. The epidermis contains no nerves or blood vessels, so the epidermis alone is incapable of sensation or bleeding. Composed of a protective outer layer of nonliving keratin-derived scale cells, the epidermis acts as an envelope or seal against the environment and exerts some control on the amount of moisture lost to the environment. The epidermis contains keratinocytes (cells that make keratin) and melanocytes (cells that make pigment), as well as other specialized cells. Fat - When referring to the skin only, fat is stored in cells and usually makes up the bulk of the subcutaneous layer. This is the only layer in which liposuction takes place. However, it is interesting that there are many locations for body fat that are not part of the skin, including omental fat around the intestines, fat in the eyesockets, fat inside bone, etc. Fat is composed of triglycerides, which can take on the form of oil, lipid or lard, depending on the temperature, when removed from the body. Fat is a highly concentrated energy source well suited to helping our distant ancestors cope with starvation. Some fat deposits are genetically determined. There are two major deposits of almost pure fat: the subcutaneous fat and the omental fat. Both of these can almost naturally vanish with starvation, a condition which is unhealthy. Omentum and omental fat - Deep in the abdomen and protected by a muscle wall the bowel sits in a soft "cushiony" fatty layer called the omentum. The omental fat currently cannot be safely suctioned without risking severe life-threatening bowel problems. The omentum fat can become gigantic. It stores fat and calories as well as surrounds, protects and encases the all-important human bowel. Skin - The largest organ of the body. Skin is composed of living and dead layers. The dead layers include the surface scale, outside hair and nail plate. The living layers include the epidermis, dermis, subcutaneous (fat, the area liposuction targets) and all of the structures found within those layers, including blood vessels, sweat glands, etc. Subcutaneous - Lying below or under the cutaneous (dermis, leather) tissue. This tissue is usually composed of fat cells and the structures that run through it, i.e., blood vessels, nerves, etc.

Fat is a soft, shock-absorbing barrier that acts as a conduit for the nerves and blood vessels. As well, subcutaneous tissue is an energy-storage device. See Fat in the glossary. The sebaceous glands of the hair follicle arise in the subcutaneous layer and are in high concentration on the face and scalp. There are no sebaceous glands on the palms or soles.

Subcutaneous fat - subcutaneous fat sits just below the skin's surface

Visceral Fat -  visceral fat, is buried beneath the muscles. Visceral fat can go largely unnoticed because it’s not visible to the naked eye. In fact, the only effective way researchers can locate visceral fat is by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses magnetic waves to take a picture of the inside of the abdomen. Researchers can use this picture to estimate the amount of visceral fat a person is carrying.  Visceral fat is the more worrisome variety because it surrounds vital organs and is metabolized by the liver, which turns it into blood cholesterol.