Excess body fat poses many health issues like certain cancers, stroke, diseases of the heart and diabetes. Long term and short term health problems can arise in pregnant women with excess body fat. Excess body fat increases risk of high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, kidney disease, fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis and high blood sugar in pregnant women. Having too much fat around the waist increases health risks in both men and women. Risk of particular cancers in the gallbladder, kidney, breasts of women after menopause, uterus lining, rectum and colon increases in people with excess fat in the body.
Is Belly Fat Healthy?
Belly fat or excess abdominal fat is very unhealthy to have. It is a predictor of different kinds of cancers, heart diseases, resistance to insulin and type 2 diabetes. Some amount of belly fat is necessary as it helps protect delicate organs, intestines and stomach in the abdominal 
area.
Fat cells in excess around the abdomen generates chemical troublemakers like adipokines and adipose hormones that travel to various organs and blood vessels in the body, thus causing inflammation contributing to diabetes and diseases of the heart.
Studies indicate that women with depressive symptoms, women with menopause related hormonal changes, beer and soda drinkers, people eating too many junk foods can have extra fat on the belly.
Consuming foods low in fats, magnesium rich foods, good dose of polyunsaturated fats, exercising, having lots of veggies, doing yoga at least 45 minutes daily, is a great way to shed off belly fat.
What Is Meant By Belly Fat?
Belly fat is stomach fat. Fat tissue gets deposited around vital organs in the abdomen around the midsection of the body. Belly fat or visceral fat produces chemicals and hormones contributing to various risks to health.
When belly fat gets deposited in the increased amounts it increases risk of diabetes, diseases of the heart, certain cancer types and even early death. To identify belly fat, researchers use two types of measurements, that is, the waist-to-hip ration and circumference of the waist.
When waist-to-hip ratio is higher the risk of death due to cardiovascular disease is high. Excessive sitting, lack of exercises or physical activities, poor choices in food are some of the causes of accumulation of fat in the belly area.
What Is Abdominal Obesity?
Abdominal obesity is also termed as central obesity. When extent of abdominal fat is excessive around the abdomen and stomach, the condition is called abdominal obesity, which has negative impact on health.
Cardiovascular disease and central obesity are strongly correlated. Sufficient storage for triglycerides and excess calories is provided by the adipose tissues in the abdomen, thus increasing circulation of free fatty acids and deposition of ectopic lipids.
This in turn leads to diabetes and resistance to insulin. If in men the waist circumference is 40 inches and more and in women it is 35 inches and more, the condition is termed as abdominal obesity.
