2023-10-30 10:00:00
There are two types of belly fat. Subcutaneous fat accumulates just below the skin outside the abdominal cavity and visceral fat accumulates around the internal organs within the abdominal cavity. The risk varies depending on the type of fat. Subcutaneous fat may look unsightly, but it does not actually have a direct negative effect on health. On the other hand, visceral fat produces much more inflammatory cytokines that increase insulin resistance than subcutaneous fat. It is the main culprit in raising blood sugar levels. Therefore, for health, you should focus on losing visceral fat, not the subcutaneous fat that is visible to the naked eye. There are different ways to lose belly fat depending on the type.
The risk of belly fat varies depending on the type. Source: Getty Image Bank
Why is visceral fat more dangerous than subcutaneous fat?
In obesity, visceral fat is considered harmful fat tissue that causes health problems, while subcutaneous fat is considered beneficial fat tissue. Last year, a domestic research team discovered why visceral fat obesity is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat obesity.
The research team of Professor Jae-beom Kim of the Department of Life Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, Seoul National University, and Professor Jong-kyung Kim of DGIST discovered that stem cells are the reason why visceral fat acts as more harmful fat than subcutaneous fat. The stem cell population in visceral fat induced an increase in adipose tissue and caused inflammatory response and fibrosis, worsening the function of adipose tissue. On the other hand, the subcutaneous fat stem cell group was found to improve the function of adipose tissue by promoting energy consumption of adipose tissue and suppressing inflammatory responses.
Adipose tissue is an energy metabolic organ that performs various functions including energy storage, hormone secretion, and heat production. Adipose tissue is largely divided into white fat, which stores energy, and brown fat, which uses energy to produce heat. White fat is divided into visceral fat and subcutaneous fat depending on its location, and an increase in visceral fat is the main cause of the development of metabolic diseases.
How to distinguish between subcutaneous fat and visceral fat
The most reliable way to determine whether you have visceral fat is to take a cross-sectional image of the abdomen using a CT scan. But there is a simpler way. It’s about picking up belly fat. When you pinch your belly fat with your thumb and index finger, if it is more than 2cm, it is considered subcutaneous fat. On the other hand, visceral fat has the characteristic of being small and not easy to grasp.
You can also tell by the shape of your belly fat. If the upper abdomen goes in and only the lower abdomen comes out, subcutaneous fat has accumulated. However, if your stomach is full, there is a high possibility that you have accumulated a lot of visceral fat. Additionally, if you have a lot of visceral fat, your stomach will almost stay out even when you lie down, whereas if you have a lot of subcutaneous fat, your stomach will go in when you lie down.
Exercises to lose visceral fat
It is relatively easier to reduce visceral fat than subcutaneous fat. To lose visceral fat, you must exercise regularly, and aerobic exercise is the best exercise. Walking quickly, running, swimming, or riding a bicycle can help you burn off the visceral fat stored between your organs. To burn fat, it is important to continue exercising for more than 20 minutes. However, there is an exercise method to burn visceral fat that can be done easily and comfortably at home. This is to continuously stimulate the muscles around the abdomen by stretching them. We learned about how to stretch the muscles around the abdomen.
full body stretch
Full body stretchㅣSource: Getty Image Bank
① Lie down straight
② Extend your arms and legs in opposite directions as much as possible.
Lie down and lean your upper body back
Lie down and lean your upper body backㅣSource: Getty Image Bank
① Lie face down and place both palms under your armpits.
② Straighten both legs and bring the knees and heels together.
③ Inhale and slowly lift your nose, chin, and head in that order.
④ Take a deep breath and return to the prone position.
sit down and bend down
Sit down and bow your backㅣSource: Getty Image Bank
① Sit down and raise your arms in front of you
② Slowly bend down while pulling in the instep.
Sit with your legs crossed and extend your waist to the side
Sit with your legs crossed and stretch your waist to the side | Source: Getty Image Bank
① Sit upright, bend one knee and cross your legs.
② Pull the folded knee with the opposite arm and place the other hand on the floor behind you.
③ Take a deep breath and twist your waist.
④ Proceed in the same way on the other side.
turn your waist
Turn your waistㅣSource: Getty Image Bank
① Stand up straight and spread your feet shoulder-width apart.
② Place your hands on your waist and turn it slowly.
③ Proceed in the same way in the opposite direction.
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