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STUDY: Excess belly fat can weaken men’s bones

Posted at 6:50 PM, Nov 28, 2012
and last updated 2012-11-28 18:50:25-05

(CNN) – More than 37 million American men are obese,  and we’ve all heard about the health problems associated with carrying excess belly fat, including heart disease and diabetes.  

New research presented at a meeting of radiologists reveals that excess deep belly fat can also weaken men’s bones.  

Researchers studied 35 obese men, taking images of their bones and noting where their body fat was distributed.   

Obese men whose fat settled as deep belly fat had weaker bones compared to obese men whose fat was distributed under their skin.  And men with more muscle mass had stronger bones.

There are simple  actions men can take to fight the negative effects of deep belly fat. 

 Topping the list is losing weight.  Limit calorie intake and burn more calories by performing daily physical activity such as walking.    

It’s also important to build more lean muscle mass — working out with weights can help with this.  The study showed that men with more muscle had stronger bones.    Plus lean muscle increases the burning power of your body’s metabolism.