Beware of Belly Fat: Reduce It Naturally


By J. Erika Dworkin, Certifi ed Lifestyle Educator


Each year obesity-related conditions cost over $100 billion and cause an estimated 300,000 premature deaths in the United States, making a very strong case that the obesity epidemic is the most signifi cant threat to the future of this country.


Can you be both fat and healthy? No. According to detailed studies, obesity is more damaging to health than smoking, high levels of alcoholconsumption, or poverty.


- Michael T. Murray, ND, & Joseph Pizzorno, ND – The Encyclopedia of


Natural Medicine (3rd Ed.2012)


ou may feel unattractive with your more-than-a-few extra pounds, but do you realize how much they are actually threatening your wellness and longevity? In this day of heightened con- cern about health insurance coverage and its costs, proactive efforts to prevent future medical conditions can provide greater peace of mind. Not all body fat is equal. Determining how to reduce your belly fat, the dangerous fat that envelops your vis- ceral organs to the detriment of your entire body, is one of the most valuable fi rst steps you can take toward better physical, men- tal, and even fi nancial health.


Y Abdominal Obesity Defi ned


In the United States, according to the most recent CDC report, more than 70% of adults are overweight (including obese), more than 37% of adults are obese, and over 5% of adults are extremely/morbidly obese. Although other factors are relevant, the body mass index [BMI; calculated as weight (lbs)/height (inches)2 x 703] is the


34 Natural Nutmeg - March 2018


accepted medical standard for classifying individuals according to their body compo- sition: (1) Normal Weight BMI is 18.5-24.9; (2) Overweight BMI is 25-29.9; (3) Obese BMI is over 30; and (4) Extremely Obese BMI is over 40.


“Abdominal obesity” focuses primar-


ily on where fat is stored, not merely on the number on the scale. It is examined in light of two measurements, waist circum- ference (WC) and waist/hip ratio. WC is determined by snugly placing a measuring tape horizontally around the abdomen, just above the upper hip bone. A man’s WC should be 40 inches or less, and a woman’s should be 35 inches or less. If a person’s WC is below the applicable number of inches, then waist circumference/hip cir- cumference becomes important. A healthy waist/hip ratio is 1.0 or less for a man, and 0.8 or less for a woman.


Risks & Causes of Excess Abdominal Fat Belly fat, which increases body-wide


infl ammation, is dangerous and accelerates aging. Obesity, and particularly abdomi- nal obesity, is strongly associated with a wide number of degenerative conditions, including cancer (women - breast, colon, gallbladder, uterine; men – prostate and colon); cardiovascular disease and related problems (high cholesterol/triglycerides, hypertension, atherosclerosis, blood clots, stroke/heart attack), insulin resistance/ diabetes, menstrual disorders and PCOS, gallstones, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, migraines, multiple sclerosis, and erectile dysfunction.


Abdominal fat tissue (known as adipose tissue, consisting of fat-storing cells called adipocytes) is now viewed as a complex metabolic and endocrine organ. Fat cells


normally secrete adipokines, hormone-like compounds that regulate insulin sensitivity. The increase in abdominal fat causes altera- tion of adipokines that actually promotes insulin resistance and increased appetite, which in turn results in production of even more abdominal fat. Adiponectin, one type of adipokine that fat accumulation reduces, normally combats infl ammation, lowers triglycerides, and blocks the development of atherosclerosis, a major complication of diabetes. Research has demonstrated a number of other causes of obesity and excessive abdominal fat, also related to decreased blood sugar control.


One proven theory maintains that


excessive television watching positively correlates with decreased physical activity and weight gain.


Second, the set point weight theory maintains that each person’s fat cells es- tablish a programmed weight that the body seeks to maintain by regulating the amount of food and calories consumed. When enlarged fat cells in an obese individual shrink, they either send messages to the brain to eat, or block appetite-suppressing compounds, explaining why dieting does not work.


A third theory relates to diet-induced thermogenesis (DIT), the conversion of food to heat (versus being stored), which is markedly lower in overweight individu- als, largely due to insulin insensitivity and lower amounts of brown fat. Since indi- viduals predisposed to obesity continue to experience decreased DIT compared to non-overweight individuals, permanent support for insulin sensitivity is critical. Brown fat produces far more heat than the more prevalent white fat, and evidence sup-


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