Researchers at the University of Illinois have looked at how moderate amounts of exercise (e.g., 30-45 minutes of walking, 5 days a week), as well as the particular foods one eats, influence the amount of inflammation present in visceral fat (aka "belly fat"). Why? Because increased amounts of visceral fat have often been associated with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes.

The study revealed that moderate exercise can make the body more sensitive to insulin (insulin sensitivity), even without a change in diet. (If the body's cells are not sensitive to insulin, then sugar levels are not regulated as they should be.) Exercise was also found to decrease fat in the liver and decrease inflammation in the belly fat.

Since the disease of obesity is linked with low-grade inflammation throughout the body, it makes sense that people with higher BMIs (e.g., scores over 30) will have higher levels of inflammation overall. Fat accumulation in the belly region is particularly dangerous to your health because it increases the prevalence of the inflammatory chemicals that increase your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

The Illinois researchers, whose work was published recently in The American Journal of Physiology, Endocrinology and Metabolism, looked at the effects of both diet and exercise on inflammation of visceral fat in mice. Their study included a high-fat diet group to induce obesity. Six weeks into the study, mice were divided either into a sedentary group, an exercise group, a low-fat diet group, or a group that participated in both exercise and the low-fat diet. The study was divided into 6- and 12-week increments so the scientists could examine both the short- and long-term effects of the interventions.

Interestingly, the results achieved by the combination exercise/diet group were not significantly better than those of the diet or exercise groups by themselves.

Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that the only truly significant increase in belly fat in the mice from 6 to 12 weeks was seen in the sedentary mice. This may suggest that exercise is an important lifestyle intervention that can help fight inflammation in the belly fat, even in the presence of a high-fat diet. The researchers stated that exercise could help prevent life-threatening diseases even in people with obesity, by decreasing inflammation.

The take-home message here: Even if you're having a hard time lowering the fat and calories in your diet, you can still improve your health and possibly lower belly fat with even moderate amounts of exercise. Regular physical activity could also help you with stress reduction, which may further help lower your risk of disease and could also help you to cut back on the nervous eating we often do in response to stress.

Always keep trying to incorporate healthy foods into your diet, though, since a balanced diet is important for good overall health. All of this just might help tilt the scales in your favor as well!