Couch Potatoes Threatened by 'Visceral' Fat
(HealthDayNews, 9/14/2005)

Cris Slentz, of Duke University Medical Center, and colleagues, studied 175 inactive, overweight adults. The researchers found that, for the group that did not exercise, visceral fat increased by 8.6 % in just 6 months; whereas, subjects exercising at a relatively high level had a 6.9 % decrease in fat deposits. Excessive fat around internal organs is dangerous because it is associated with metabolic problems, cardiovascular conditions and insulin resistance. These findings suggest that moderate exercise can prevent the accumulation of visceral fat and a more vigorous exercise regimen can actually reverse it.

(Duke University, news release, 9/14/05)