Being overweight, especially with too much belly fat, increases the risk of heart disease. Recent studies show that people with belly fat have a higher chance of heart problems than those with fat in other places.
Why is belly fat dangerous? When you gain weight, fat builds up in your belly, forming visceral fat. This fat goes deep into your belly and wraps around important organs like your liver, kidneys, intestines, and heart. It can cause inflammation, which is when your body reacts to something harmful.
Inflammation can lead to heart diseases like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. It speeds up problems like atherosclerosis, where fatty plaques clog your arteries. Fat around your heart, called pericardial fat, can release substances that harm your heart’s blood vessels. Having too much pericardial fat also makes heart failure and atrial fibrillation more likely. Women have a higher risk of heart problems, even if they don’t have much belly fat.
If you have too much visceral fat, try to lose weight by eating healthy and controlling how many calories you eat. Instead of cutting out entire food groups like pasta and bread, focus on eating smaller portions and choosing leaner foods, like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, lean meats, poultry, and fish. Doing regular physical activity along with these changes in your diet can make a big difference in your health.
