Don't Ignore Those Love Handles! They Can Be Dangerous For Your Health

The term 'love handles' is nothing positive as it sounds to be. It refers to fat on the sides and front of your belly. These are the zones of 'stubborn fat' for most people which means that they fill up first but are hard to get rid of. The little pockets of flab not only affect the way you look and feel but they can also impact your health negatively. Love handles may act as a precursor for abdominal obesity and this, Researchers from the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine at Florida Atlantic University claim is the new 'silent killer'.According to them, love handles can be fatal as they may associated with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome refers to a cluster of risk factors that may pave way to the development of cardiovascular disease and type diabetes. These may include high triglycerides, high blood pressure, abnormal lipids, insulin resistance and abdominal obesity. The term 'metabolic' refers to the biochemical processes that assist your body's normal functioning.In a report, published in the Journal of Cardiovascular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, experts have indicated that being obese or overweight may be linked with metabolic syndrome. Thus, increasing your risk of heart trouble and other health problems. They have regarded abdominal obesity as a major factor contributing to the cause of metabolic syndrome which is quite avoidable. The ideal waist size of men should be less than 40 inches and 35 inches for women. Anything above this limit can be a reason to worry and also hit the gym. The researchers further explained that excess visceral fat in the abdominal region not only leads to insulin resistance but it can cause the release of non-esterified free fatty acids from the adipose tissue or body fat. This can lead to the accumulation of lips in other areas like the liver and your muscles. (Also read: 6 Indian Superfoods to Reduce Belly Fat)But sadly, most adolescents today are more obese and less physically active than their parents. This has been the major cause in the increase of risk factors for diabetes and heart disease. They are no more regarded as age-related ailments but are common amongst the younger lot due to the kind of lifestyle they choose to live.