According to a study, so called “normal weight obesity” is rampant in America.  “Normal weight obesity” refers to people whose weight is normal for their size, but who have clinically significant excess body fat. Specifically, greater than 20% body fat for men and 30% for women.  After evaluating data on 2,127 adults participating in a government-sponsored study, researchers reporting at the AmericanCollege of Cardiology’s Annual Meeting (Chicago, April 2008) found that 61% of the study subjects had levels of body fat in the “normal weight obesity” category.  Even more alarming, this same group had definite changes in blood chemistry signifying an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome despite their normal weight appearance.  These findings hammer home the reality that even a little bit of extra fat, especially if deposited in the belly, is a menace regardless of your weight.  A reliable measure of how much fat you have in your belly is the measurement of your waist at the level of your belly button right above the top of your hip bones.  For women a healthy range is 32 inches or less and for men 35 inches or less. The only good thing about belly (visceral) fat is that it’s the easiest fat to lose.