- More than 2 in 3 adults are considered to be overweight or obese.
- Over 1 in 3 adults are considered to be obese.
- More than 1 in 20 adults are considered to have extreme obesity.
- About one-third of children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are considered to be overweight or obese.
- More than 1 in 6 children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 are considered to be obese.
Many of us are part of these statistics or have a loved one who is. That’s why it’s important to cut out foods that feed fat cells and indulge in foods that burn belly fat.
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Beating the Blub
Having a little extra fat around the belly may seem pretty normal and harmless, but it directly correlates with some serious health problems in the long run.Advertisement
Health risks include:
- reduced insulin sensitivity
- type 2 diabetes
- heart disease
- high blood pressure
- nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- some types of cancer: breast cancer, colon cancer, endometrial cancer
- kidney disease
- stroke
Being overweight involves an excess of fat under your skin (subcutaneous fat) as well as around your heart, lungs, liver, and other organs (visceral fat) (2).
Visceral fat is the most unhealthy, and can even have a negative impact on inactive “skinny” people. Body mass composition is more important than weight alone. Of course, the more extra weight you have, the more your body starts to store fat in unusual places.Advertisement
Fat doesn’t just sit in your body, it actually stores toxins and can affect hormone balance. As Kristen Hairston, MD, assistant professor of endocrinology and metabolism at Wake Forest School of Medicine, puts it: fat makes “lots of nasty substances.”
Here are 16 Foods that Burn Belly Fat
Despite what you may think, losing weight isn’t achieved through salads alone. You can actually eat plenty of foods that you already recognize and enjoy to help you lose belly fat.
It goes without saying that you will also need to listen to your body’s natural hunger and sleep rhythms to curb cravings, increase energy, and burn fat.Advertisement
