There are many reasons why people can accumulate belly fat , including poor diet, lack of exercise, and stress. Improving nutrition, increasing physical activity, reducing stress, and making other lifestyle changes can help people lose unwanted belly fat.
Types of abdominal fat
Belly fat refers to the fat around the abdomen. There are two types of belly fat:
- Visceral: This fat surrounds the organs of a person.
- Subcutaneous – This is the fat found under the skin.
The health complications of visceral fat are more harmful than having subcutaneous fat. People can make many lifestyle and diet changes to lose belly fat.
The dangers of abdominal fat
Being overweight is one of the leading causes of major illnesses. Being overweight (BMI 25-39) has long been known to be a health risk. Overweight people (with a BMI over 40) even have a life expectancy of less than 8 to 10 years. This makes obesity as dangerous as smoking. (Whitlock, 2009)
Excess belly fat can increase your risk of:
- Heart disease ;
- Heart attacks;
- High blood pressure;
- Risk of type 2 diabetes;
- Asthma ;
- Breast cancer ;
- Colon cancer ;
- Alzheimer’s disease and other types of dementia;
- Belly fat favors thrombosis and embolism.
The causes of belly fat
A diet very rich in simple carbohydrates, the poor combination of complex carbohydrates, proteins and polyunsaturated (healthy) fats, with a lack of essential amino acid intake, can obviously lead to an increase in abdominal fat.
In addition, increased cortisol levels can promote adipose tissue attachment to the abdomen. To increase cortisol levels, there can be several reasons: these include, in particular, physical inactivity, but also chronic stress, morbid overproduction, and, of course, cortisone therapy due to inflammatory diseases. (Cortisone is the synthetic stress hormone, cortisol is the body’s stress hormone.)
Common causes of excess belly fat are as follows:
1. Poor diet
Sugary foods, like cakes and sweets, and drinks, like soda and fruit juices, can:
- cause weight gain.
- slow down a person’s metabolism.
- reduce a person’s ability to burn fat.
The low protein diets and high carbohydrate can also affect weight . Protein helps a person feel fuller longer, and people who don’t include lean protein in their diet can eat more foods overall.
Trans fats, in particular, can cause inflammation and can lead to obesity. Trans fats are found in many foods, including fast food and baked goods, such as muffins or cookies.
The American Heart Association¹ recommends that people replace trans fats with healthy whole foods , monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats.
Reading food labels can help a person determine if their foods contain trans fat.
2. Excessive alcohol consumption
Heavy alcohol use can cause a variety of health problems, including liver disease and inflammation.
A 2015 report on alcohol consumption and obesity in the journal Current Obesity Reports² indicates that excessive alcohol consumption causes men to gain weight around their bellies, although the results of studies in women are inconsistent.
3. Stress
A steroid hormone known as “cortisol” helps the body manage and cope with stress. When a person is in a dangerous or high pressure situation, their body releases cortisol and this can affect their metabolism.
People often look for foods to make themselves comfortable when stressed, and cortisol causes excess calories to linger around the belly and other areas of the body for later use.
5. Genetics
There is some evidence that a person’s genes may play a role in whether or not they can become obese. Scientists believe that genes can influence behavior, metabolism and the risk of developing obesity-related diseases.
Similarly, environmental factors and behavior also play a role in how likely people are to become obese or gain abdominal fat.
4. Lack of exercise
If a person consumes more calories than they burn, they will gain weight, that is not news.
An inactive lifestyle makes it difficult for a person to shed excess fat, especially around the abdomen.
How to lose belly fat
By considering the following changes, people can lose unwanted belly fat:
1. Improve your diet
A healthy, balanced diet can help a person lose weight, and it is also likely to have a positive effect on their overall health.
People should avoid sugar, fatty foods, and refined carbohydrates that have low nutritional content. Instead, they should eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and complex carbohydrates.
2. Reduce your alcohol consumption
A person trying to lose excess belly fat must control their alcohol consumption . Alcoholic beverages often contain added sugar, which can contribute to weight gain.
3. Get more exercise
A sedentary lifestyle brings with it many serious health problems, including weight gain. People trying to lose weight should include a good amount of exercise in their daily routine.
Performing aerobic and strength exercises can help people shed belly fat.
Exercise is most effective if people combine both cardio and high intensity training along with resistance and weight training.
Exercise for belly fat
If words like ” strength training ” and ” resistance training ” sound too stressful to you, don’t worry. You don’t have to go to the gym or take tennis lessons, or opt for athletics and go out to the field every day.
Even moderate physical activity of at least 30 minutes a day helps prevent further weight gain. This can be a brisk daily walk or even better a round of Nordic walking. If you moved for 60 minutes a day, not only would you keep your weight lower due to the change in diet, but you will continue to lose weight due to the movement.
Researchers at Duke University Medical Center in the United States have found that a minimum of 20 kilometers of exercise per week or 3 kilometers per day is enough to prevent you from gaining weight. If you move 30 kilometers or more during the week, you lose both visceral and subcutaneous fat while consuming the same amount of food ( Harvard Health, 2006 ).
Final conclusions
Do not forget that a true change in diet does not mean a resignation, but is an exciting journey of discovery through a world of new culinary delights.
And if you’re not sure how to turn your diet into an overly filling and anti-inflammatory diet, it’s a good idea to go on a detox diet with guidance, meals, and shopping lists and recipes so you don’t feel overwhelmed.