Visceral fat can be damaging to your health and has been linked to conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. The fat you carry in your stomach, called visceral fat, is different than the fat found elsewhere in the body (think arms and love handles), which is called subcutaneous fat. Your overall health should be the first concern, and in that case, belly fat should be the first thing to go. You might want to lose the spare tire for how you look and the way your clothes fit-but there should be more pushing you to drop weight than your reflection or your shirt size.

The battle of the bulge is a common struggle, even if the rationale to drop poundage isn't always in the right place.

If they need to lose weight to get to their ideal physique, the first place they target is their gut, as they aim to achieve a flat belly, hopefully leading to a six-pack. They want to build big arms, a broad back, and tree trunk legs, rather than focusing on less immediate (and important) health goals. When guys want to get fit, they often take a narrow focus in their approach.

Exercises to get a flat stomach