The visceral belly fat of children and teenagers has increased by more than 65 percent between 1988 and 2004, and that trend is directly in line with rising obesity rates. Visceral fat is located deep inside the abdomen and surrounds the internal organs. It is more dangerous than cutaneous body fat, which lies just below the skin, because the liver metabolizes it into LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, which forms plaque as it circulates through the bloodstream, gradually blocking the arteries.

Researchers employed a widely used weight-to-height ratio to measure overweight and obesity levels among study participants. The relative increase in abdominal obesity was 84 percent for two- to five-year old boys, but an alarming 126 percent among 18- to 19-year-old girls. The study is published in the journal Pediatrics.

Studies indicate that inactivity and diets high in saturated fats significantly increase the build-up of visceral fat, while exercise and a healthy diet can reverse accumulation.