It commonly goes by a variety of different monikers, including beer
belly, spare tire and love handle. Everyone makes New Year's resolutions vowing
to eliminate it, spending hundreds of dollars on gym memberships, fitness
equipment and weight-loss programs but the battle of the bulge seems never-ending.
Visceral fat, otherwise known as fat surrounding the abdomen and other
internal organs, is considered a significant contributor to a variety of weight-related
health problems. These health problems include heart disease, type 2 diabetes and
metabolic syndrome. It's common knowledge that regular exercise is known to provide a
wide range of health benefits, including weight loss and a reduction of total body
fat. However, there are few studies examining the direct effects of exercise programs
on changes in visceral fat levels.
In this randomized, controlled study, 175 sedentary adults between 40 and
65 years of age, all considered overweight or mildly obese and all with mild
to moderate dyslipidemia, were assigned to a control group for six months, or
to one of three exercise groups. The exercise groups were defined as follows:
low amount/moderate intensity, equivalent to walking 12 miles per week; low
amount/vigorous intensity, equivalent to jogging 12 miles per week; or high
amount/vigorous intensity, equivalent to jogging 20 miles per week. Computed
tomography scans were performed pre- and post-study to analyze changes in visceral
fat, subcutaneous abdominal fat and total abdominal fat.
Researchers concluded that "in the control group, visceral fat levels increased
by 8.6%, which was statistically significant. Visceral fat levels did not change
significantly in either of the low-amount exercise groups. The high-amount exercise
group experienced an average decrease in visceral fat of 6.9%, which was significant.
Only the high-amount exercise [group] had any change in subcutaneous abdominal fat
amount, which decreased in this group by 7.0%."
General Recommendations for Physical Activity
Adults should engage in moderate-intensity physical activities for at least 30 minutes on five or more days of the week.
CDC/American College of Sports Medicine
OR
Adults should engage in vigorous-intensity physical activity three or more days per week for 20 or more minutes per occasion.
U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (Healthy People 2010)
For more detailed information, including a listing of physical activities defined by level of intensity, visit www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/physical/recommendations. |
According to the researchers, their findings "suggest a clear dose-response
relationship between exercise amount and changes in visceral fat." They
emphasize that "even a relatively modest exercise program, consistent with the activity
recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and American College of Sports
Medicine, prevented significant increased visceral fat," and recommended that "until
we are able to prevent weight regain after short-term dieting success, a greater
emphasis toward prevention should be a major goal in the U.S."
So in 2006, keep that New Year's resolution and get rid of your beer belly,
spare tire or love handle by adopting a consistent exercise program, following the
recommendations at left. Consider it the start of a new, healthier you.
Source:
Slentz CA, Aiken LB, Houmard JA, et al. Inactivity, exercise, and
visceral fat. STRRIDE: a randomized, controlled study of exercise intensity and amount. Journal of Applied Physiology October 2005;99:1613-1618.