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It's important to remember that overall body weight is not the only indicator of health. Even though someone may have a healthy weight, high visceral fat can be a risk factor for health problems. Visceral fat, commonly called stomach fat, is a type of fat found in the abdominal cavity, especially around internal organs such as the liver, pancreas and intestines. The buildup of visceral fat can lead to serious illnesses. So, managing and reducing visceral fat levels is an important step to maintain body health. Come on, find out more about visceral fat, its impact, and how to reduce it.
Causes of Visceral Fat
The causes of visceral fat can vary and involve lifestyle factors, genetics, and overall health. Following are some common causes of visceral fat accumulation:
- Unhealthy diet: foods high in saturated fat, added sugar, trans fat, and excessive calories can trigger increased accumulation of visceral fat. These types of foods include processed foods, fast foods and high-carbohydrate drinks. Calorie intake that exceeds physical activity causes the accumulation of calorie reserves, which over time are stored as visceral fat.
- Lack of physical activity: an inactive lifestyle, such as sitting all day or exercising infrequently, can contribute to increased visceral fat.
- Genetics: Genetic factors may also play a role in the degree to which a person is susceptible to visceral fat accumulation.
- Stress: Chronic stress can affect hormone levels in the body, such as cortisol, which can contribute to the accumulation of visceral fat.
- Lack of sleep: Lack of sleep or poor quality sleep has been linked to increased levels of visceral fat.
- Age: As we age, there tends to be an increase in visceral fat because the body's metabolism can slow down.
- Hormones: Certain hormonal disorders, such as polycystic ovary syndrome in women or decreased sexual hormones in men, can affect the distribution of fat in the body and cause increased visceral fat.
The Impact of Visceral Fat on Health
Visceral fat can have serious impacts on body health, including:
- Heart disease,
- strokes,
- Diabetes,
- peripheral vascular disease,
- Chronic inflammation (cancer or autoimmune),
- Sleep disorders ( sleep apnea ),
- Hormonal balance disorders,
- Premature aging.
How to Deal with Visceral Fat
It is important to remember that reducing visceral fat requires patience and long-term commitment. There is no quick fix to this problem.
Below are some steps to reduce visceral fat:
- Balanced diet (consuming foods with lots of fiber, adequate portions, limiting consumption of processed or high-sugar foods, reducing carbohydrates, and avoiding alcohol). Is it forbidden to consume fat to reduce visceral fat? The answer is, no. Fatty foods are still safe for consumption, provided you pay attention to your intake of healthy fats, such as monounsaturated fats (avocados and olive oil) and polyunsaturated fats (fats in fish and nuts).
- Regular physical activity, one of which is aerobic exercise such as cycling, swimming or brisk walking. Considering high-intensity exercise can also help burn fat efficiently.
- Stress management by doing meditation, yoga and getting enough sleep.
- Drink enough water because dehydration can affect the body's metabolism.
- Consult a medical professional, if you have an underlying health problem or have questions about how to manage visceral fat, consult a medical professional or nutritionist for more specific guidance.
Apart from the methods above, the type of food and drink consumed also plays an important role in dealing with visceral fat. Foods and drinks that are recommended for consumption include: green tea which contains lots of antioxidants, almonds because they can help control appetite and provide sustainable energy, drink lemon juice and warm water every morning to cleanse the digestive tract and stimulate metabolism.
Those are some ways to deal with visceral fat. Always consult your healthcare professional with EMC Healthcare before starting a weight loss program or significant changes in diet or physical activity, especially if you have an underlying medical condition.
Article written by dr. Sari Purnama Hidayat, Sp.PD (Internal Medicine Specialist at EMC Pulomas Hospital).