Abdominal fat and what to do about it
Visceral fat more of a health concern than subcutaneous fat.
- Reviewed by Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
Though the term might sound dated, "middle-age spread" is a greater concern than ever. As people go through their middle years, their proportion of fat to body weight tends to increase. Extra pounds tend to park themselves around the midsection.
At one time, we might have accepted these changes as an inevitable fact of aging. But we've now been put on notice that as our waistlines grow, so do our health risks. Abdominal, or visceral, fat is of particular concern because it's a key player in a variety of health problems — much more so than subcutaneous fat, the kind you can grasp with your hand. Visceral fat, on the other hand, lies out of reach, deep within the abdominal cavity, where it pads the spaces between our abdominal organs.
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About the Reviewer
Howard E. LeWine, MD, Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing
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