Belly fat is more than skin deep

The trouble with belly fat is that it's not limited to the layer of padding just below the skin. That's called subcutaneous fat. Belly fat also includes visceral fat. And that lies deep inside the abdomen and surrounds the internal organs.

Regardless of a person's overall weight, having a large amount of belly fat raises the risk of:

• High blood pressure.
• An unhealthy amount of fat in the blood.
• Sleep apnea.
• Heart disease.
• High blood sugar and diabetes.
• Certain cancers.
• Stroke.
• Fatty liver.
• Early death from any cause.