If you gain a lot of weight, the body starts to store your fat in unusual places. When the regular areas to store fat are full, the fat is deposited into the organs and around the heart. If you've too much belly fat, you might be more likely to get high BP, dementia, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers.
Apparently the most precise way to determine how much visceral fat you have is to get a CT scan or MRI. But there is an easier, low-cost method to check. Use a measuring tape to circle your waist at your natural waistline, which is located above your belly button and below your rib cage. Do it while you are standing up, and make sure the tape measure is level. Do not suck in your stomach, or you will get a false measurement. You have a higher risk of health problems if your waist size is more than 31.5 in. (37 in. if you are a man).
There're 4 keys to controlling belly fat: exercise, sleep, diet, and stress management.
Exercise
Visceral fat likes inactivity. In one study, the people who watched their diets but didn't exercise were more likely to have too much visceral fat. The key is to be active. Get at least 30 mins. of moderate exercise at least 5 days per week.
Diet
There's no magic diet for belly fat. But when you lose weight on any diet, belly fat usually goes first.
Sleep:
Getting the right amount of sleep helps. People who get 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night gained less visceral fat, than people who sleep less than 6 or more than 8 hours a day.
Stress:
Everyone has stress but how you deal with it is what matters. Relaxing with friends and family, meditating, exercising are the best things you can do.
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