When you see a protruding midsection staring back at you in a mirror, you remind yourself again of your need to lose some weight, especially around your belly. In fact, if you could just lose around the belly, that would make you happy. Unfortunately belly fat can be the most difficult to lose if you don’t understand how you got it in the first place. Here’s some facts and advice to start you along the way.

Belly fat, also known as central obesity, has been shown to be the most dangerous type of fat. It is associated with a higher risk of heart disease, hypertension, and insulin resistance. In fact, it is insulin resistance that is believe by many health professionals to be the primary cause of belly fat accumulation.

What exactly is insulin resistance? Insulin resistance is the condition that occurs when your body insulin receptors become resistant to the effects of insulin. Insulin is the substance that carries glucose throughout your body. If some of your cells become insulin resistant, excess glucose occurs. Your body senses this and starts to produce excess glucose. In the worse case scenario, you can develop type 2 diabetes.

According to Anthony Haynes in his book Insulin Factor, 80 percent of the population has some degree of insulin resistance, 22 to 25 percent having full blown insulin resistance.

The increase in insulin leads to more storage of fat, much of which is stored on your belly. So if you want to get your belly fat down, you need to manage your insulin levels.

Exercise is a great start, as it provides a means to burn some of the excess fat. However, to efficiently gain control over it, you need to eat healthy. In a nutshell, this means cutting out refined sugars and over-processed foods. These types of food are primarily made of simple carbohydrates. When you digest a large amount, this causes your insulin level to spike. In contrast, by eating complex carbohydrates, you get a gradual rise of insulin.

So, if you want to lose that belly fat, you need to work on controlling your insulin levels. By starting to eat healthy and getting off your rear-end, you’ll be making the first steps necessary towards dropping pants sizes.

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