One of the biggest myths in the fitness industry is the concept of spot reduction. Spot reduction or the ability to lose fat in specific areas of the body, has been long used by dubious companies to sell their cream, tonic or gel. The fact of the matter is, when you lose weight, you lose weight from all parts of the body; doing 1000 sit ups wont get you six pack abs or a flat midsection.
There are primarily two types of fat-essential fat and stored fat. The essential fat is stored in the organs of the body, such as heart, CNS, gall bladder etc and is required for the proper functioning of our body. This fat controls the various bio-chemical reactions going on inside the body, including hormone regulation.The other type of fat,the stored fat can also be subdivided into two parts- some is stored in between the organs and they act as a protective shield or rather as a cushion protecting the internal organs; the rest is stored beneath the skin and is also referred to as subcutaneous fat. It is this subcutaneous fat that is visible externally and the cause of concern. Storage of subcutaneous fat is the body's mechanism of handling a food crisis. When we consume more calories than we require, the body stores it as subcutaneous fat so that in times when food is scarce, it can be used for energy. The good thing is that these fat stores can be reversed. When blood glucose levels are low, and the body keeps moving (exercising) the fat stores are unlocked and oxidized to provide the energy. The problem with the concept of spot reduction is that its based on the principle that you can choose the area from where the fat is to be burned; unfortunately this premise is flawed. The pattern of fat storage is unique to an individuals genome and it cannot be modified by external means. People have different patterns of fat storage; some people store fat first in the abdomen and then move on to the hips and thighs; some store in the arms, thighs, hips and then move on to the abdomen. That is why, we see so many different "types" of overweight people! In other words, the body decides how and where it will store the excess energy as fat and at the same time, in times of crisis, it will decide from where to use this stored fat for energy.
If you happen to be a night owl, you must have come across "infomercials" that run on television; most of them promote "herbal teas" that can miraculously turn a morbid obese female into a size zero model in a bikini! Aah, if only it were true. No amount of herbal teas or pills will help you lose weight if you don't change your lifestyle. If there was indeed a pill for fat loss, the company would have been the wealthiest in the world and its owner a trillionaire! There is of course, scientific data that validates the fact that drinking green tea does help in fat metabolism and can be an aid for you to lose weight; but the effect will only be seen if you follow a healthy diet and regular exercise program.To put things into perspective, if you follow a good diet and training regime, you will anyway lose the extra weight; the cup of tea would only be a humble accessory.
