Belly fat blues

The L.A. Times reports:

HAVING a little paunch is just no good with a Speedo or bikini. Health-wise, it's none too pretty either.

That bulge is the outward sign of a deeper problem: visceral fat, a kind of biological monstrosity that, in excess, wreaks havoc on the body, raising the risk for heart disease, diabetes, possibly even dementia and some types of cancer.

Lying deep inside the body, wrapping around the liver and other major organs, visceral fat acts like a kind of organ itself — spewing out bad hormones and squashing the production of good ones. It sets up the body for sickness as the years roll by and additional fat accumulates.

"Visceral fat is very bad for you," says Richard N. Bergman, a professor at USC's Keck School of Medicine. "It seems to have a more negative outcome on health than overall fat."

You'll want to read this one.