One way to know if you’re carrying too much visceral fat – whether you’re slim or not – is to measure your waist circumference. Take a flexible tape measure and place it around your midriff, horizontal to your belly button. The British Heart Foundation (BHF) specified that the tape measure should be placed at the “midpoint between the bottom of [the] ribs and top of [the] hips”.
Do I have too much visceral fat?
Females with a waist circumference of 31.5 inches or more are at higher risk of health complications.
All participants had their waist circumference measured, with abdominal obesity classified as:
- More than 90cm (around 35 inches) for men
- More than 85cm (around 33 inches) for women
Each participant also had their alcohol intake classified into one of four groups:
- Non-drinkers
- 1-10g of alcohol daily
- 11-20g of alcohol daily
- Over 20g of alcohol daily
“A high alcohol intake was associated with high waist circumference in both genders,” the researchers noted.
The group consuming more than 20g of alcohol daily – irregardless of sex – had larger waist circumferences compared to non-drinkers.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) warned: “Alcohol can lead to weight gain.”
The calories within alcohol are known as “empty calories” because they contain “no nutritional value”.
The HSE confirmed that drinking alcohol “slows down your metabolic rate and reduces the amount of fat your body burns for energy”.
In addition, alcohol can trigger the part of the brain that makes you feel hungry, so you’re more likely to eat more.
