Love handles refer to fat deposited on the sides of the waist. These unsightly bulges are also known as a spare tire or a muffin top, which occurs when excess fat hangs over a person's waistband.

Most people agree that having excess fat around the midsection is undesirable. Research shows that abdominal fat leads to higher risks of heart disease, diabetes and even certain types of cancers. But how do you go about getting rid of love handles?

One way to effectively eliminate love handles is to lose weight by following a reduced-calorie diet and by consistently doing cardiovascular exercise.

As you begin your diet and exercise program, you can disguise your love handles by wearing clothes that fit properly. Avoid too-tight clothing, low-rise jeans and midriff-baring shirts. Opt for pants that go around your natural waist and for women, skirts and dresses that sit at your natural waist.

Check out AOL Health's belly-bloating foods to avoid or eat belly-flattening foods. AOL Health also has sections on how to burn ab fat and ab workouts.

Body image is a touchy subject, and we want to know where you stand on yours. So in the past, we asked you what you like about your body. Then we asked what you don't like about your body. And I'm glad we did -- the results were pretty interesting. Here's what you had to say:

• 52% of you -- that's right, more than half of you -- don't like your midsection. I'm with you -- a bulging belly is the pits.
  
• 18% of you aren't crazy about your legs, be it a case of cankles or American thighs.
  
• 10% of you dislike your butt.
• 6% don't like your hair or skin.
• And finally, it pains me to write this but 5% of you dislike everything about yourself. However, 2% of you love everything -- good for you.
  

Thanks for sharing -- now go get those abs in shape, and be sure to vote in other Your Turn polls.

Spanx and other control-top panties are considered by many to be a godsend -- they pull in the paunch and instantly slim without have to do all that pesky dieting and exercising.

But according to some health experts in the UK, control-top panties aren't quite as miraculous as we'd like to believe. Here's why: Flabby midsections are often a sign of weak ab muscles--which are harmful to the back -- and unhealthy eating habits that could lead to diabetes, cancer and heart disease. So while slimming underpants will help you look good for that big event, they're just helping you ignore an uncomfortable and potentially deadly problem -- your weight.

Hmm. A good point. Still, I think donning a pair for that high school reunion isn't the end of the world. Your thoughts?

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You worked hard for that muscle, don't you want to keep it? Then stop doing things that cause your body to become catabolic. More is not always better, pain does not ever equal gain, and a lack of balance can cause your results to fall right over. Are you your own worst enemy? Read on and find out.

How much sleep do you get a night? Researchers suggest that at least 7 hours are needed for the body to be fully rested. Insofar as muscle growth is concerned, it simply will not happen if you're not sleeping, for it is this time of the day that hypertrophy (muscle growth) occurs.

Are you stressed? If so, you may be releasing high levels of the hormone cortisol. If your cortisol levels are too inflated, protein synthesis can be interrupted and muscle building will be greatly impeded.

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Being a little thick around the middle may do more than just increase your risk for heart disease and diabetes, new research shows that bigger waists are connected to bigger colon cancer risk.

This new data comes from one of those "study of studies" where researchers compiled information from 30 previous and separate sets of research on colon cancer. Obesity in general was already known as a rectal cancer risk factor, but it seems abdominal fat is particularly dangerous. For every 4 inches a man gains around the middle his risk for colon cancer jumps up by 33%, and for women it goes up by 16%.

One more good reason to get your butt on the treadmill!

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For some people fat may be the new norm, but for those of us who still dream of a slim and buff midsection and are doing everything we can to have one some workouts work better than others. There are countless ab exercises available out there but which ones are the best? I don't want to mess around and waste my time -- if I'm gonna workout then I want to see results! eDiets has compiled this list of the ten best moves for your midsection, and here they are (click the links for instructions on how-to):

1. Bicycle Maneuver
2. Ab Crunch
3. Reverse Ab Curl
4. Double Crunch
5. Cable Kneeling Rope Crunch
6. Machine Hanging Knee Raise
7. Fitball Advanced Reverse Crunch
8. Lying Bent Knee Leg Lift
9. Machine Angled Leg Raise
10. Incline Bench Leg Raise

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