ITV's resident medical expert Dr Amir Khan has issued a stark warning about the dangers of abdominal fat, challenging widespread misconceptions and highlighting the significant health risks associated with what he describes as "deep" visceral fat.
Popular Belly Fat Advice Could Be "All Wrong"
In a recent Instagram alert that has gained considerable attention, Dr Amir Khan suggested that much of the popular advice surrounding "blitzing belly fat" might be fundamentally misguided. The practising GP, who regularly appears on ITV daytime programmes including Lorraine and Good Morning Britain, claimed that people are frequently fed "nonsense" about how to tackle their tummy fat.
"Now, too often, weight advice is wrong [and] focused on all the wrong things," Dr Khan explained. "Trim down for the beach season or show off those rock-hard abs - that's nonsense, of course."
He emphasised that the primary goal should be achieving better health rather than pursuing unrealistic aesthetic standards. "We should want to get healthy, not thin or ripped," he stated. "Now, if you are carrying extra pounds around your midsection, know that losing belly fat is more than conforming to unattainable beauty standards, because the weight we carry in our abdomen can be a sign of health concerns that are more than skin deep."
The Two Types of Fat: Understanding the Real Danger
Dr Khan clarified that everyone carries two distinct types of abdominal fat:
- Subcutaneous fat: Resides just beneath the skin and is largely cosmetic
- Visceral fat: Penetrates deeper, wrapping around internal organs
While most people focus on losing visible subcutaneous fat, it's the deeper visceral fat that poses significant health risks. This hidden fat can substantially increase your likelihood of developing serious conditions including:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Dementia
- Various other chronic illnesses
The ITV regular explained that both genetic factors and lifestyle choices contribute to the amount of this dangerous deep fat we accumulate.
What Causes Visceral Fat Accumulation?
According to medical experts including those at Chemist 4 U, visceral fat builds up when there's an imbalance between calories consumed and energy expended. Multiple factors contribute to its development:
- Poor dietary choices
- Lack of regular exercise
- High stress levels
- Increased alcohol consumption
- Menopause (for women)
- Genetic predisposition affecting body shape and metabolism
This explains why some individuals carry more abdominal fat than others, even when maintaining what appears to be a healthy weight overall.
Measuring Your Risk: Beyond BMI
While medical tests can precisely measure visceral fat levels, simple home methods can provide reasonable estimates of risk. Dr Khan recommends measuring your bare abdomen just above your hip bones.
Measurements exceeding 35 inches for women or 40 inches for men indicate heightened health risks. Crucially, even slim-looking individuals can harbour high visceral fat levels - a body type often referred to as "TOFI" (thin outside, fat inside). This phenomenon demonstrates why waist circumference and body composition offer more reliable health risk indicators than Body Mass Index (BMI) alone.
Effective Strategies for Managing Visceral Fat
Although you cannot specifically target visceral fat for reduction, it can be effectively managed through overall weight loss strategies. Interestingly, Dr Khan suggests that visceral fat is actually "easier to get rid of" than more visible subcutaneous fat.
"This is because [visceral fat] is metabolised quicker, and your body can get rid of it in things such as your sweat or even your pee," he explained in his video. "To help the process, think about doing a variety of exercises - things that get your heart rate pumping and build muscle."
The British Heart Foundation supports this approach, recommending aerobic exercise as particularly effective for reducing fat around your middle. Activities such as:
- Brisk walking
- Dancing
- Running
- Swimming
During aerobic exercise, your heart works harder to pump blood around your body, delivering oxygen to your muscles and promoting fat metabolism.
Comprehensive Lifestyle Changes
Beyond exercise, Dr Khan recommends several additional strategies for managing visceral fat:
- Dietary adjustments: Limit refined or added sugars while increasing fibre and protein intake
- Sleep optimisation: Aim for at least seven hours of quality sleep nightly
- Stress management: Reduce stress to prevent cortisol spikes that can increase appetite and visceral fat accumulation
Visceral fat is metabolically active and tends to respond relatively quickly to positive lifestyle changes. Regular moderate-intensity exercise, particularly brisk walking, proves highly effective in reducing this dangerous deep fat and mitigating associated health risks.
Dr Khan's warning serves as an important reminder that abdominal fat concerns extend far beyond cosmetic considerations, representing genuine health indicators that warrant serious attention and appropriate lifestyle management.
