In this podcast, I’m going to tell you why your waist circumference is more important than your weight. A woman’s waist should be less than 35 inches, and a man’s should be less than 40 inches. Every inch increases the risk of premature death.

Visceral fat is fat that surrounds the organs and has several negative health consequences, including the following:

•Sends signals to increase inflammation in the body

•Contributes to insulin resistance

•Hard to detect

•2x-3x greater risk for heart disease

•Increases risk of cancer, especially of the breast and colon

Visceral fat is not the same as subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat is hormonal fat caused by cortisol or insulin. Consuming carbohydrates and frequent eating can spike insulin, leading to visceral fat.

After menopause, women often lose their waistline due to a shift in hormones. Estrogen and progesterone decrease while cortisol increases. This also contributes to a loss of muscle mass.

Body mass index (BMI) is not the best indicator of your overall health because it doesn’t reflect whether a person has significant muscle mass or fat.

Some belly fat looks like visceral fat but is actually related to cirrhosis of the liver.