Here we go; I had to dig up an old post from the LC list and do a little snooping at PubMed.

Generally speaking there are two types of fat stores; visceral (found around the organs and abdomen) and subcutaneous (found under the skin). Women tend to have higher concentrations of subcutaneous fat around the thighs and butt, men accumulate it around the back. Men also tend to have higher concentrations of abdominal / visceral fat due to their hormonal profile.

Abdominal fat has been highly correlated with diseases such as diabetes, insulin resistance and CVD - it's also the basis for BMI measurements (but that's another story ) The reason that this type of fat is considered more dangerous than subcutaneous fat has to do with the fact that it is innervated with nerves that allow the fat cells to release their fatty acids into the body. (E.g. this fatty acid has direct access to the liver, where it can alter the physiology of the liver resulting in a fatty liver). So this is why you want to get rid of this stuff. This innervation is what also makes it possible to get rid of it faster when you are dieting and more importantly, exercising. The nerves that allow the fatty acids to release into your system also allow them to be broken down and released as fuel for your muscles when you exercise. This effect is more pronounced when you engage in cardiovascular activity over say anaerobic activity.

So while it's not possible to spot reduce, if you have a large deposit of abdominal fat, doing consistent and routine cardiovascular exercise can help you lose this type of fat faster while improving your health.

Nat