We've heard it before -- if you want to know the state of your health, turn your attention to your waistline. Waist circumference is getting a lot of attention as the new risk factor for future health problems, even becoming more popular than the old stand-by BMI. Why? That's because belly fat is thought to be more dangerous than fat that pads other parts of your body.

What's so bad about belly fat, or visceral fat as it is known? Researchers at the University of Michigan think they've figured it out. Belly fat, when transplanted into mice, caused more inflammation in the body and was linked to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Mice who received a subcutaneous fat transplant (or fat that sat below the skin) had less significant changes.

Now, you may ask yourself what fat mice have to do with your future health (And you may also ask, how exactly does one transplant belly fat into a mouse? But I don't want to hear the answer to that question, so...moving on...). Health experts think that similar changes occur in humans, and other studies seem to support that claim.

Belly fat responds well to exercise, so even if you're eating a healthy diet, add some activity to your day to whittle that waistline.

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