Fitness: Exercise outperforms diets in reducing hidden fat

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It has been said you can’t outrun your fork, which are wise words to live by considering it takes only a few seconds to scoff down a doughnut, but a solid 30 minutes to run it off.

So unless you’re prepared to put in the work, you may want to consider the consequences of indulging in high-calorie treats that take more than just a walk around the block to burn off. In fact, when it comes to weight loss, dieting (decreasing the number of calories consumed daily) usually outperforms exercise at reducing the numbers on the scale.

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But just because physical activity can’t be relied on to get rid of the fat you can see, you can still count on it to whittle away at the fat you can’t. Deeply embedded visceral fat fills up the empty spaces around the liver, intestines and other internal organs and presents a greater risk to cardiovascular health than the roll that hangs over your belt, despite making up about 10 per cent of total body fat. It has also been associated with an increased risk of asthma, dementia, and breast and colorectal cancer.

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Men tend to have more visceral fat than women prior to menopause. But starting around middle age, women catch up. Like any weight loss program, diet and exercise are recommended to help reduce visceral fat. But unlike weight loss, exercise has been reported to outperform diet when it comes to diminishing fat hidden in the abdomen.

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Researchers from the University of Hong Kong reviewed 40 studies comparing the effectiveness of diet and exercise in reducing visceral fat. To qualify for the review, the calorie deficit of the dieters needed to match that of the exercisers. In other words, the weekly number of calories cut from the food intake of those in the diet group had to match the number of calories burned by the exercise group, which offered a true comparison between the two sets of study subjects.

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“To our knowledge, this is the first meta-analysis comparing the dose–response effects of exercise and caloric restriction by controlling for the weekly caloric deficit induced by the interventions,” the researchers said.

The results confirmed what other studies have suggested: exercise does a better job at reducing visceral fat than dieting. But don’t count out the benefits of making smarter food choices. When it comes down to a measuring tape, diet outperformed exercise in shrinking the waistline.

“Our findings support the notion that both interventions can effectively decrease the volume of visceral fat in this population; however, only exercise demonstrated a dose–dependent relationship with visceral fat,” the researchers said. “In contrast, both exercise and caloric restriction showed dose–response effects on reducing waist circumference.”

Aerobic exercise is considered most effective at reducing deeply buried fat, but resistance training has also shown results, though more moderate than what occurs when you swim, walk, run or cycle.

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As for exercise intensity, research suggests that how hard you work out isn’t important when it comes to the effectiveness of losing hidden belly fat. So, whether you prefer shorter, more intense workouts or longer, moderately paced exercise bouts, the results will be similar regardless of age, sex and ethnicity. That said, like any study of the effects of diet and exercise on fat loss, the results vary considerably between study subjects. Individuals inherit and acquire physiological characteristics that affect their ability to gain and lose body fat, so keep that in mind when it comes to your expectations.

Another word to the wise: exercises like sit-ups and curl-ups won’t get rid of unwanted belly fat — including the kind you see and don’t see. Spot reducing is a myth, so if trimming your waistline and all that lies beneath is a priority, opt for the treadmill, exercise bike, elliptical or a regular walking, running or cycling routine to put things right. And like all weight-loss goals, consistency is important. So less every day is better than a feast or famine approach to exercise.

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Don’t be afraid to check in on your progress. Studies revealed as much as a 25-per-cent reduction in visceral fat after several months of regular exercise. And while MRI or CT scans are considered the best ways to measure internal belly fat, a tape measure will do in a pinch. Just make sure you measure waist circumference at navel, not waist, height. Admittedly less accurate than scans, it’s suggested that any reductions in waist circumference greater than two centimetres is probably associated with a similar reduction in visceral fat.

Finally, there’s plenty of evidence suggesting that even if the numbers on the scale don’t move, regular exercise will still slowly reduce hidden body fat — a reminder that the benefits of physical activity shouldn’t be judged on a scale or in a mirror. Rest assured that exercise works quietly in the background to make you feel and look better, which is one of its greatest strengths.

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