Body fat in humans includes both essential and storage body fat. Essential body fat is needed to maintain life and is generally
higher for women than men. Storage body fat is the type that accumulates throughout the body and is similar for both men and women. When storage body fat increases above a healthy range, disease risk increases. However, the location of the stored body fat is even more important for determining disease risk than the amount of fat in an individual. Higher levels of visceral fat will _______ an individual's risk of developing many chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Visceral fat is a type of storage body fat. It is stored in the abdominal cavity and often surrounds many vital internal organs like stomach and liver. Over the time it forms a layer around these organs and also deposits in arteries which can cause many problems.
It can lead to insulin resistance which increases the risk for type 2 diabetes. It can also lead to other chronic conditions like heart disease and stroke. Hence, its increased amount is not good for the body. It can be decreased by proper diet, exercise and decreasing stress.
