6 things you should know about belly fat
Carrying extra pounds around your midsection? Here's how a few simple tweaks can help you address belly fat.
Jan, 2026
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You can carry extra weight just about anywhere on your body. But when it’s located around your waist, it may have some particularly serious consequences for your health. Deep belly fat is called visceral fat. It produces proteins and hormones that can lead to higher levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), aka “bad” cholesterol, as well as high blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglycerides. It's also a player in insulin resistance and inflammation.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few simple changes to your lifestyle, you can lose pounds, trim your midsection, and boost your overall well-being.
Written byMichael Gollust.
Medically reviewed byMark Arredondo, MD.
Sources: Johns Hopkins Medicine. The Skinny on Visceral Fat. May 2012. + 12
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. The Skinny on Visceral Fat. May 2012.
- American Heart Association. Too much belly fat, even for people with a healthy BMI, raises heart risks. April 22, 2021.
- R de Mutsert, K Gast, et al. Associations of Abdominal Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat with Insulin Resistance and Secretion Differ Between Men and Women: The Netherlands Epidemiology of Obesity Study. Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders. 2018;16(1):54-63.
- Wang W, Li J, Chen X, et al. Whole grain food diet slightly reduces cardiovascular risks in obese/overweight adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Cardiovasc Disord. 2020;20(1):82.
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd Edition. Page last reviewed February 1, 2019.
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Television Watching and “Sit Time.” Accessed February 1, 2023.
- Suminski RR, Patterson F, Perkett M, et al. The association between television viewing time and percent body fat in adults varies as a function of physical activity and sex. BMC Public Health. 2019;19(1):736.
- Tomiyama AJ. Stress and Obesity. Annu Rev Psychol. 2019;70:703-718.
- Moss RH, Conner M, O'Connor DB. Exploring the effects of daily hassles and uplifts on eating behaviour in young adults: The role of daily cortisol levels. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2021;129:105231.
- Centers of Disease Control and Prevention. Assessing Your Weight. Page last reviewed June 3, 2022.
- NHS.uk. Why is my waist size important? Page last reviewed September 24, 2019.
- Harvard Health Publishing. Taking aim at belly fat. Page last updated April 21, 2021.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Assessing your weight. Page last reviewed June 3, 2022.
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