Vigorous Exercise Key In Fat Fight

Fitness, exercise (AP / CBS)

(WebMD) If you do just one thing to fight fat, exercise might be the way to go, judging by a new study.

Consider the study's results:

Inactivity led to a buildup of fat deep inside the belly.

Modest amounts of exercise held the line on deep belly fat.

Higher amounts of exercise cut deep belly fat and fat around the waist.

The study appears in The Journal of Physiology. It took place at Duke University under the supervision of exercise physiologist Cris Slentz, Ph.D., and colleagues.

Mindset Shift

If Slentz had it her way, people would quit thinking "weight loss" and start thinking "health gain."

"Until we are able to prevent the weight that many dieters regain following short-term success, we should place a greater national emphasis towards prevention," says Slentz in a news release.

"It will be a challenge to change the message from 'exercise now to lose weight' to 'exercise now so in five years you won't be 20 pounds heavier,'" she continues.

'Hidden' Fat

If deep belly fat is hidden, why does it matter? The stakes may be too high for an out-of-sight, out-of-mind outlook.

Deep belly fat (technically called "visceral fat" or fat surrounding organs within the abdomen) has been linked to health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome -- a cluster of risk factors that greatly increase the chance of developing these diseases.

Visceral fat hasn't been proven to cause those conditions, but it seems to at least be a red flag of possible health risks, write Slentz and colleagues.

By the way, visceral fat isn't just for the millions of overweight or obese people. Thin people can also have visceral fat if they're not fit.

How Do You Compare?

Slentz's study included 175 men and women in North Carolina. See how you compare to them:

All were overweight, inactive, and had mild-to-moderate cholesterol problems.

They were 40-65 years old.

The women were postmenopausal.

None had diabetes, high blood pressure, or plans to diet.