According to a group of University of Michigan scientists, belly fat tucked deep under the skin might be worse for a person’s arteries than fat padding the rest of the body. Also called visceral fat, belly fat appeared to boost inflammation and was linked to worse forms of atherosclerosis, a hardening of the arteries, making heart attacks more likely.

Using mice in their experiment, the U of M team transplanted visceral fat into some mice, while transferring subcutaneous fat (fat that sits directly under the skin) into others, and no fat into a third group of mice. The results showed that the mice injected with visceral fat suffered the worst atherosclerosis and the most inflammation.

The research conducted by the U of M scientists supports the belief that abdominal fat increases the risk of serious health problems. The risk of serious health problems increases in men with a waist measurement over 40 and in women with a waist measurement over 35.