Belly fat is a problem for many people, and not just because of its appearance. The type of fat that accumulates on your belly is called visceral fat. It surrounds your organs and increases your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some types of cancer.
To find out if you have excess fat in this area, place a tape measure around your midsection at navel level. Over 35 inches in women and 40 inches in men is too much. Below are some of the reasons why belly fat is formed.
You Have Few More Birthdays
Age may bring wisdom, but it’s bad for your midsection.
Every year, your muscle mass decreases and your metabolism slows, so you don’t burn as many calories as you used to. That means you can eat the same amount and still see the number on the scale go up.
Age-gained weight tends to collect around the midsection.
To prevent unwanted gains, reduce calories or add more muscle building exercises.
Overeating
If you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight everywhere — including in your stomach.
You need to cut around 500 calories a day to lose a pound. That may sound like a lot, but look at cutting the highest-calorie foods out of your diet first.
Cookies, soda, and juice pack a lot of calories in a few sips or bites. Replace the former with low-calorie, nutrient-dense foods such as apples, broccoli, brown rice and broth soup.
Less Moving
Americans spend more than 10 hours a day sitting. Although diet plays a major role in weight gain, a lack of movement contributes too. To avoid adding extra weight to your belly and elsewhere on your body, do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise each week.
The answer to your weight gain could be hidden in your medicine cabinet. Certain drugs are known to cause weight gain. These include some diabetes medications, some antidepressants, steroids, and epilepsy medications. Some drugs increase fat directly to the abdominal area, including beta-blockers, which treat high blood pressure.
You Have Stress Eating
Too much stress is bad for your mental state or your weight. Stress triggers the release of cortisol, the hormone that makes you crave high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods like French fries, pizza and crackers.
Cortisol also stores fat around your stomach. Another way that stress causes weight gain is by keeping you awake at night. People who sleep less tend to have more abdominal fat.
Your Medicine
The answer to your weight gain can be hidden in your medicine cabinet. Certain drugs are notorious for causing weight gain. These include some diabetes drugs, some antidepressants, steroids, and epilepsy drugs. A few medications add fat directly to the stomach area, including beta-blockers, which treat high blood pressure.
Your Genes
If you’re eating right and exercising but those stubborn pounds won’t go away, blame your genes.
Another clue is if other members of your family struggle with their weight too.
Genes control how your body burns calories, how quickly you feel full, and whether you gain weight in your thighs, buttocks, or belly.
Even if belly fat runs in your family, you can tackle your genes with the right diet and enough exercise.
Simple Ways to Lose Belly Fat, According to Experts
