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Fat-free diets are so last year. Today's diet gurus know that a little fat -- as long as it's the right fat -- can be a very good thing. In fact, in a recent study, supplementing with certain fats helped obese, postmenopausal women lose fat and gain lean muscle mass.

Researchers asked older women with obesity and type 2 diabetes to take eight capsules a day of either safflower oil or conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), an omega-6 fatty acid that's found in certain foods. Each group took supplements for 16 weeks, took a month off, then began using the other oil.

The results were interesting: Safflower oil decreased belly fat, increased muscle mass and lowered fasting glucose levels in the women. CLA decreased women's BMI by an average of a half a point.

All fat is not created equal. Fat that gathers around your butt and thighs is called subcutaneous fat, but belly fat is called visceral fat. Visceral fat is a good indicator of how much fat is around your organs. That's why people with large waistlines have an increased risk for conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.

You can do all the crunches in the world, and it's not going to get rid of belly fat. To keep your waistline slim, you need to eat a lean, healthy diet and burn excess calories through exercise. When it comes to the battle of the belly bulge, where are you?


Tip! Jonny tells us that blueberries can help banish belly fat. The high antioxidants in blueberries might make them especially beneficial for your belly, but all fruits and vegetables are friendly for a lean belly. Last week I wondered if you grew any of your own produce.

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It's almost blueberry season, and Jonny's got another reason to enjoy this sweet summer treat: Blueberries just might help banish belly fat.

Maggie tells us about an emulsion could be added to foods that helps people lose weight. Should our focus be on making processed foods less fattening, or teaching people to eat a healthier diet. What do you think?

Need some motivation to keep that fitness plan rolling along? Laura's got five good reasons to always be fit.

Think that workout gives you a free pass to eat anything? Think again. Ashley tells us that that post-workout after burn effect is a myth.

After all that hard work you've been doing, you deserve to show off those fit and sexy legs. Put yourself in a great pair of shorts with some advice from Kristen.

Here's a simple step for staying slim this summer: Cut the condiments.

Attention frappuchino lovers: Starbucks is taking a small step towards a healthier coffee break in their Dallas stores.

"Wipeout" host Jill Wagner opens up about her own journey to fitness in an interview with Fitz and why she's yet to try out the "Wipeout" course herself.

Karla's starting Weight Watchers with one goal in mind: Not quitting. If you've ever yo-yoed, you know exactly what she's talking about. We're behind you all the way, Karla!

DNF - all you racers out there know what it means. Would you rather finish a race with a bad time, or get that mark that means "did not finish?"

If you had to choose either diet or exercise, which would you pick? If you're tempted to curb your eating habits without moving more, that might not be best to tackle the fat beneath your muscles and around your organs.

According to a University of Illinois study, it is exercise that shrinks the cells, known as visceral fat, more efficiently.

Researchers found that moderate exercise alone reduced inflammation in belly fat in mice. Now, that doesn't mean that if you keep chowing down on ice cream and pizza and run 30 minutes a day you're going to get a taut tummy. But it is a promising find for those who are at high-risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Strong sexy, abs ... let's count the reasons we love them:

• Buttoning your skinny jeans is a snap.
• Better posture, less back pain.
• Swimsuit shopping is way more fun.
• A strong core makes you feel powerful.
• Flat abs mean less dangerous belly fat.

And, oh yeah, they can save your life. Peggy Willams, 47, was paragliding with friends in Spain when a gust of wind suddenly picked her and up tossed her onto sharp and jagged rocks. Because her wing was still inflated, she was dragged along the rocks for what she says felt like an eternity.

"I kept seeing rocks going past me and smacking me. Because the wing was partially inflated, it was my body rather than my head that was in contact with the rocks," she told the Telegraph.

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Incredible abdominals are on everyone's wish list, right? Who wouldn't want a flat belly which is bumpy only because of amazing musculature? Sounds sweet, right? Eating right plays the largest role in your weight management, but without exercises like the ones shown here, incredible abs will never make their debut. Train like this several times a week, watch what you put in your mouth and enjoy your amazing transformation!

For more innovative training videos and waist-slimming recipes from my new book, The Everything Flat Belly Cookbook, visit Fitzness.com.

Find both a BOSU and a Medicine Ball at Power-Systems.com

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Belly fat is undesirable, to say the least. It's unsightly, but more importantly, it's unhealthy. So really, shouldn't we all be doing everything we can to get rid of it? But then, we hear things like," Marilyn Monroe wore a size 14," or "Kate Winslet has a crumbly stomach," and we think maybe we're not in such bad shape after all.

Well, if you're going to compare your figure to a celebrity's, you should at least have the correct information, and the March issue of "Fitness" magazine has it. Check out these waist measurements and see how you measure up:

• Marilyn Monroe was super curvy, but had a 22-inch waist (clothing sizes have changed drastically since the 1950's).
• Audrey Hepburn weighed in at 103 pounds and had a 20-inch waist.
• Farrah Fawcett, one of America's greatest sex symbols, had a 24-inch waist.
• Jane Fonda, fitness queen, also had a 24-inch waist.
• Princess Diana's weight fluctuated widely, but her largest waist measurement was 27 inches.
• Kate Winslet has no problem baring her body, and she looks amazing, but surprisingly, she has a 29-inch waist.

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Is biking the best way to blast belly fat? I'm not sure. I know it's a great way to get fit. I just don't know if I'd target my tummy troubles with a trek on two wheels. But I'm no expert. Let see what Oprah's Dr. Oz and pal Dr. Roizen have to say about the topic.

"Any physical activity helps you reduce belly fat," they say. But it must be pretty strenuous to have maximum benefit. Try this: Work up to 30 minutes of solid biking (if you stop at a crosswalk, subtract that time), then add about 10 percent more time each week. Keep in mind that one minute of intense biking equals about one minute of intense running. Note the word "intense," say the docs, who have two general tips for those starting out on the bike.

• Wear a pedometer all day. Put it on your lower leg while biking -- every time it goes around, you'll get a step count. Once you hit 10,000 "steps" a day -- including all the walking and biking you do -- you'll be headed for thin.
• Get a heart-rate monitor. Compare how fast your heart beats when you bike to how fast it beats when you walk. If you get the same number of beats per minute, you're probably getting the same level of activity. In this case, pump up the pedaling for tip-top belly benefits.
  

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Liposuction is a quick -- if not entirely easy -- way to get rid of the belly fat. But while lipo might help you slip effortlessly into that itty, bitty bikini just in time for spring break, it won't do much to improve your health.

Belly fat isn't just unsightly, it's also dangerous. But the belly fat targeted by lipo sits just under the skin, while the stuff you really want to get rid of hangs out around your internal organs. Studies show that while lipo can reduce waist circumference, a risk factor for weight-related diseases, it doesn't appear to impact inflammation in the body.

There's only one way to banish that kind of blubber once and for all, through good old diet and exercise. Lipo can get rid of the fat, but changing your lifestyle once and for all prevents you from ever putting it back on again ... and that trumps instant results any day.

Put a new notch in your belt this month with AOL Health's Shrink a Size, and don't forget to check out how much our readers have already lost!

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While being overweight can be detrimental to your health, having a little junk in the trunk might actually be helpful.

Researchers have long known that belly fat can raise your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease. New research from Harvard Medical School suggests that subcutaneous fat -- the kind that tends to gather on hips and butts -- may actually help prevent type 2 diabetes.

This is great news if you've got a little extra bulk in your booty, but I wouldn't take this research as a green light to let yourself go. Eating healthful foods and maintaining a healthy weight is still your best defense against health issues like type 2 diabetes. AOL Health has some great exercises to help get your butt in shape. And remember, you can be fit and still keep your curves -- just check out the sexy stars below for proof.

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The Mediterranean diet has long been touted as a healthful way to eat. Now, new claims suggest that pairing a Mediterranean diet with a small snack of nuts daily boosts the health benefits.

Metabolic Syndrome is a combination of heart-disease risk factors such as high blood pressure, excessive abdominal fat, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar. The Mediterranean diet is thought to reduce some of the risk factors involved in metabolic syndrome. A new study separated 1,224 people into three groups: one group received advice on a low-fat diet, the second was instructed on the Mediterranean diet plus were given one liter of virgin olive oil each week and the third received the Mediterranean advice plus 30 grams of mixed nuts each day.

Over the course of the one-year study, the prevalence of metabolic syndrome was reduced in all three groups: The low-fat diet group saw a two percent reduction in metabolic syndrome, the olive oil group reduced metabolic syndrome by 6.7 percent, and the group that followed a Mediterranean diet as well as eating nuts reduced the prevalence of metabolic syndrome by a whopping 13.7 percent.

AOL Health has more information on the Mediterranean diet.

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