Some call it a muffin top, some call it excess fat. But whatever it is, it's a lump of flab protruding on the tummy. This is a slang term used to describe the fat accumulating on the sides of the stomach, visibly on the horizontal part of the waistline of a woman. This term was first coined in Australia in the year 2003 but it has been used in English-speaking countries. Although some people find it attractive for people to have the muffin top because it gives more curves and volume to the body, it still a cause of worry to some because there is an underlying condition behind it. It usually appears on the midsection of the stomach giving the looks of a muffin. Before we go deeper into this discussion, let's know first the types of fat that are the causes of having the muffin top:

● subcutaneous fat:

This is the kind of fat that is accumulated above the waist. Some people have this. Try pinching your love handles. If you notice jiggly fat around it then you must be touching the subcutaneous fat. Now, what causes the subcutaneous fat:

❖ A person who has a sedentary lifestyle:

is at high risk of growing subcutaneous fat especially when one does not burn the fats around the waist, hips, and lower abdomen with exercises like curls, sit-ups, and butt bridge. 

❖ Taking more calories than what a person can burn:

          may lead to the accumulation of fat around that area. The sugary contents crystalized around the love handles that become fat deposits. 

❖ Having lesser muscle mass:

Most plump individuals have more fat deposits than muscle mass. When this happens, they tend to gain weight more than the slender ones. It is because of the natural body built that they have dictated how much muscle or fat they would accumulate. 

❖ The importance of Subcutaneous Fat:

Subcutaneous fat is a natural deposit in our bodies. This fat stores and regulates temperature. With this, your muscles and bones are shielded against impacts or bruises from a severe hit or trauma.

● When does subcutaneous Fat become Harmful: 

The subcutaneous fat becomes harmful when there is so much of it being stored especially in the belly. Too much deposit of this fat might lead to:

❖ Heart disease and strokes

❖ kidney disease

❖ high blood pressure

❖ fatty liver disease 

Now that we know the first type of fat that is stored in the stomach, let us talk about the visceral fat or the second type that is located in the deeper part of the stomach next to the subcutaneous fat.

● visceral fat:

This is the second type of fat that builds up the arteries. This is also called the "active fat" because this is the one that most causes illnesses. Visceral fat is hardly seen because it is located in the abdominal cavity and because of its nature, it is usually the most difficult to burn.

Unfortunately, visceral fat has complications. It was said that if you'd like to measure the total amount of visceral fat in the body, you need to calculate your total body fat and when you take out the 10% of the body fat, you would be able to measure the visceral fat. Now, we must also know who is usually prone to having more visceral fat. According to an article, when you are a:

❖ Woman: with a waistline of 35 inches and above, you have a larger amount of visceral fat.

❖ Man: with a waistline of 40 inches and higher, you have a larger deposit of this fat. 

Now, what is dangerous about visceral fat? As it implies, visceral fat could cause the following diseases if left untreated. It is because as this fat deposit continuously gets accumulated, it would start to block arteries and veins in the pathways, creating blockages to the bloodstream that might cause: 

❖ Alzheimer's disease\

❖ colorectal cancer

❖ type 2 diabetes

❖ stroke

❖ breast cancer

So, looking at these two fat types, shows that the plump love handles are not just a type of cosmetic concern but something that needs to be closely examined. This is because these could create havoc and long-term effect that are pretty harmful. They have the late signs that are usually manifesting at old age or if not in old age, are seen in most middle-aged people or as young as the young professionals who have a sedentary lifestyle. That's why we need to undergo some medical checkups with the doctor if: The waistline is larger than 35 for women and 40 for men and we have to undergo an electrocardiogram or ECG and a blood test to see if we have a large deposit of visceral fat. 

There is always good news about this. When someone has a larger deposit of visceral fat, it is curable and could be lessened with determination and discipline. Hence, below are the ways to let loose of the muffin top and gear towards a healthier lifestyle: 

III. How to Lessen the Subcutaneous Fat and Visceral Fat:

The following activities could be done with full determination to lessen or lose the deposits of subcutaneous fat or visceral fat which are:

● Diet:

This one is pretty challenging for some especially if you have cravings for sweets most of the time. In cases of having a muffin top, it is recommended that they cut back sweets on their meal plan. It is because sweets have a lot of sugar contents that, as mentioned above are converted to fat deposits and become difficult to burn. Hence, it is suggested to lessen or avoid the consumption of sweet foods. 

● Exercise:

This is always the best form of losing the fat deposits in the whole body. This is because the whole parts of the body move and through this, the fat deposit is expelled through sweat. This would also be a success if one would try incorporating the best standing desk mate- the under desk bike V9U. This one is ideal for people who experience this kind of weight problem and are having sedentary activities at work. Thus, Flexispot offers this ergonomic product that offers great comfort at work without making you create any noise when working. A perfect way to make the downtime an uptime. 

IV.Final Thoughts:

A lot of people face depression and hopelessness because of overweight. It is a struggle to let loose of the fat deposits because of certain reasons but with the great choice of lifestyle, discipline, and equipment, the weight loss journey can be considered just a muffin top that could easily be squeezed.