Couch potatoes may quickly accumulate a type of deep abdominal fat that contributes to diabetes and other metabolic problems - but regular exercise can prevent or even reverse the process, according to researchers.
Their study of overweight, sedentary adults found that those who started working out on treadmills and stationary bikes tended to lose, or at least not add to, their stores of visceral fat - fat that accumulates around the abdominal organs.
In contrast, their peers who remained sedentary showed a substantial gain in visceral fat over just 6 months, according to findings published in the October issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology.
While this deep abdominal fat may not make itself apparent in the form of a spare tire, it is linked to a number of ill health effects, including a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and heart disease.
The new findings show that even moderate exercise, such as brisk walking, may put the brakes on visceral fat accumulation, according to Dr Cris Slentz, an exercise physiologist at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina, and the lead author of the study.