Belly fat is unhealthy. Find out what causes belly fat, the health risks it poses for men and women and what you can do to lose the extra pounds.

If you're carrying a few extra pounds, you're not alone. But this is one case where following the crowd isn't a good idea. Carrying extra weight — especially belly fat — can be risky.

Why is belly fat a concern?

People who gain belly fat are at greater risk of serious health problems than are people who accumulate fat in other areas — and men are more likely than women to gain weight around the waist. Having a large amount of belly fat increases your risk of:

·         Some types of cancer

·         Heart disease

·         Type 2 diabetes

·         Stroke

·         Insulin resistance

·         High triglycerides

·         Low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or "good," cholesterol

·         Metabolic síndrome

·         Sleep apnea

Your waist size is a good indicator of whether you have too much belly fat. Although measurements that compare your hip and waist circumference (waist-to-hip ratio) or compare your height and weight (body mass index) are more precise, your waist size alone can give you a good estimate.

¨ Pull the tape measure until it fits snugly around you but doesn't push into your skin.

The following chart shows the range of waist sizes that are considered healthy for a man (♂) and woman (♀) of different heights. The column titled Waist-to-Height Ratio is a way to tell if you are considered overweight or at an unhealthy waist line.

Height	Ideal Waist Line in inches		Ideal Waist-to-Height Ratio		Upper Healthy Range Limit of Waist-to-Height Ratio
	♂	♀	♂	♀	♂	♀
5 feet 1 inch	-	24	-	39.5	-	up to 49%
5 feet 2 to 3 inches	-	24 to 25	-	39.5	-	up to 49%
5 feet 3 to 4 inches	28.5	25 to 25.3	46	39.5	up to 53%	up to 49%
5 feet 5 inches	28.5	25.3 to 25.5	46	39.5	up to 53%	up to 49%
5 feet 6 inches	28.5	27.5	46	39.5	up to 53%	up to 49%
5 feet 7 inches	31	27.75	46	39.5	up to 53%	up to 49%
5 feet 8 inches	31.2	26.8	46	39.5	up to 53%	up to 49%
5 feet 9 inches	31.7	27.3	46	39.5	up to 53%	up to 49%
5 feet 10 inches	32	27.3	46	39.5	up to 53%	up to 49%
5 feet 11 inches	32.6	28	46	39.5	up to 53%	up to 49%
6 feet	33.1	28	46	39.5	up to 53%	up to 49%
6 feet 1 to 2 inches	34	-	46	-	up to 53%	-

Does age play a role in gaining belly fat?

As you age, you lose muscle — especially if you're not physically active. Muscle loss can slow the rate at which your body burns calories. In turn, if you don't limit your calories or increase your physical activity, you may gain weight.

Is belly fat inherited?

Your genes can affect your chances of being overweight or obese, as well as where you carry extra fat on your body. For most men, however, the problem likely has more to do with lifestyle than inherited traits.

Can you really get a beer belly from drinking?

Drinking excess alcohol can cause you to gain belly fat — the "beer belly." However, beer alone isn't to blame. Drinking too much alcohol of any kind can increase belly fat, although some research suggests wine may be an exception. If you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. Limiting yourself to two drinks a day will reduce the amount of calories you consume and help you avoid gaining belly fat. It's also better for your overall health.

How do you get rid of belly fat?

Whether you're trying to lose belly fat or trim fat from another part of your body, weight-loss basics remain the same:

· Reduce calories. Reduce your portion sizes. Replace your usual fare with healthy foods that contain fewer calories.

· Increase physical activity. The Department of Health and Human Services recommends adults get two hours and 30 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity, in addition to strength training. You may need to do more to lose weight and keep it off.

After you shed excess pounds, maintain your weight loss with a healthy diet and regular physical activity.

Can you reduce belly fat with sit-ups?

Sit-ups help make your abdominal muscles stronger, but spot exercises alone won't specifically reduce belly fat. The best way to shrink your waist size is to lower your total body fat through healthy eating and exercise.

If you have a spare tire, don't despair. You can lose belly fat — it just takes patience and effort. In fact, shedding even a few extra pounds can help you feel better and lower your risk of health problems. We highly recommend the ABS Training Course from Mike Geary who helped already hundred thousands of people getting rid of their belly fat and improving their live quality. Mike actually is offering a trial offer of his "Truth About Six Pack ABS" bestselling book that includes a variety of great training videos and much more additional information.

The 149-page Truth About Six Pack Abs eBook is considered between insiders like a health nutritional bible that brings together the solid facts and the proper exercises that only result in an excellent physique with visible six pack abs that everyone is looking for.

Mike Geary has structured the sets of nutritional facts in a straightforward matter-of-fact approach, written in a non-boring friendly style. The difference between this course and other abs courses is that Mike Geary is not only concerned about the body system or scientific and medical facts but he stresses the importance of the psychological methodology.

The only weak point we found with Truth About Six Pack Abs is the absence of table contents at the first few pages, which would be very helpful to get organized in reading this very comprehensive piece of work. And this is exactly is an other disadvantage of Mike’s package: The mind-blowing amount of facts that are presented might result in a type of frustration for some people, which are not used to read this type of “how-to” literature. We recommend printing the most important parts of the eBook in order to physically work with it, for instance highlighting with a marker powerful statements for easier and faster recall.

Inside this e-book, you’re going to find various powerful strategies to make your training and nutrition program more exciting and result producing. You’ll find out the truth about cardio. You’ll discover some extremely effective strength training exercises, tips, and strategies. You’ll even discover some new training styles that have emerged in recent years as well as some fresh ideas you’ve probably never thought of before. Mike also will give you some great healthy meal ideas and unbiased nutritional strategies…none of that low-carb or low-fat gimmicky crap!

Source: modified version of article published at MayoClinic.com