Understanding the different types of belly fat, the factors that determine risk, and what you can do to reduce it can help you take action and make a difference in your health.
According to the World Health Organization, over 1.9 billion adults were overweight or obese in 2016. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle may be difficult if your life is hectic and stressful.
Many factors, including stress, unhealthy eating, device dependence, sedentary lifestyle, and easy access to fast food, have all contributed to belly fat.
Belly fat is one of the most difficult fats to lose. To get rid of stubborn belly fat, you must develop a long-term, healthy routine.
Making small changes in your life can have a big impact on your overall weight and the amount of belly fat you have.
An increase in belly fat can indicate a variety of health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and liver damage.
According to recent research, men’s and women’s bodies react differently to belly fat.
While belly fat in men is associated with cardiovascular disease, disease resistance, and high blood pressure, Harvard Health Publishing reports that belly fat in women is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, disease resistance, and high blood pressure.[1]
A hip-to-waist and BMI analysis reveals that women have an 18% higher chance of having a heart attack than men. In women, it can also increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes and breast cancer.
Belly Fat Types
Visceral fat and subcutaneous fat are the two types of belly fat.
Visceral fat surrounds the organs, while subcutaneous fat is located just beneath the skin. Subcutaneous adipose tissue is generally harmless.
However, visceral fat has been linked to a number of diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, liver damage, gallbladder problems, and dementia.
Furthermore, visceral adipose tissue is “metabolically active.” To put it another way, they have more cells, blood vessels, and nerves than subcutaneous adipose tissue.
Increased abdominal fat is linked to higher triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels, as well as lower HDL cholesterol levels. This fat is caused by a variety of factors, including the type of diet consumed.
What Causes Excessive Belly Fat?
People gain belly fat for a variety of reasons. These are some examples:
Inadequate Nutrition
A diet high in the wrong kinds of foods can contribute significantly to belly fat gain. A low protein, high carbohydrate diet, for example, can have a significant impact on weight.
Furthermore, carbs such as bread, sugars, and sodas can have an effect on the body by slowing metabolism. It may also impair your ability to burn fat effectively.
As a result, fat accumulates in the abdominal region. Furthermore, some fats, such as trans fats and saturated fatty acids, are harmful to the body. These fats are found in foods such as fast food, baked goods, and unhealthy snacks.
Absence of Physical Activity
Another major cause of excess abdominal fat is a lack of exercise. According to one study, a lack of adequate exercise has a greater influence on belly fat than caloric intake.
Consuming more calories than you burn may result in fat accumulation in your body. It becomes more difficult to reduce fat as it accumulates in the body.
Sleeping Schedule Disruption
An irregular sleep schedule has an indirect effect on weight gain, particularly abdominal fat. According to one study, people who have irregular sleeping schedules are more likely to engage in unhealthy eating behaviours such as binge eating or emotional eating.
Binge eating is a coping mechanism for some people who are stressed out due to a lack of sleep. Furthermore, getting less sleep may make you feel more stressed.
Sleep deprivation causes a slower metabolism and an unhealthy digestive system, which does not effectively burn fat.
Genetics
Our genetics are the only risk factor over which we have no control. Some genes increase a person’s ability to store fat in the abdominal region, regardless of whether they are overweight or not.
Furthermore, our genetics can influence how efficiently our bodies metabolise fat. Some people struggle to lose weight, particularly belly fat, because of their slow metabolism.
Stress
Chronically stressed people have a constant release of cortisol in their bloodstream. Cortisol prepares the body for emergencies and ensures survival.
Unfortunately, this survival mode does not take effective digestion into account. As a result, our metabolism slows. As a result, rather than digesting fats, this hormone accumulates fat, particularly belly fat.
Not to mention that stress can lead to poor eating and sleeping habits, all of which contribute to an increase in belly fat.
Excessive Alcohol Consumption
A study found that excessive or binge-drinking alcohol causes an increase in adipose tissue in the body. Adipose tissue, or fat tissue, is more likely to accumulate in the abdomen.
Excessive drinking causes hunger, which leads to binge eating (mostly unhealthy and fast food). It occurs as a result of alcohol’s ability to stimulate the release of neurotransmitters such as opioids and GABA.
These neurotransmitters increase the sensation of hunger in the body.
Furthermore, alcohol raises the levels of hormones associated with satiety. They prevent the synthesis of enzymes that are necessary for effective carbohydrate digestion.
Why is belly fat bad for you?
Evidence suggests that having a lot of visceral fat in your abdomen can cause chronic problems. Many cancers, type 2 diabetes, cardiac diseases, and metabolic syndrome are examples of these.
A study found a link between obese women’s fat distribution and their risk of cardiometabolic disorders. It shows that visceral adipose tissues (VAT) can cause a variety of side effects.
For example, as the body’s VAT level rises, so does the rate of lipolysis or lipid digestion. This lipid builds up in the liver, where it can be harmful to the liver, heart, and overall metabolism.
Furthermore, an increase in VAT in the body can increase the secretion of many hormones and growth factors. These hormones and growth factors contribute to a variety of cardiometabolic diseases.
How can I get rid of belly fat in a healthy way?
Enhance Your Diet
A healthy diet can significantly improve health and lead to a reduction in belly fat. A diet rich in lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, nutrients, minerals, and soluble fibre has been shown to improve health.
Making healthier food choices is one way to accomplish this. Let’s take a look at some ways to improve your diet.
Include more complex carbohydrates in your diet.
Instead of white bread, opt for whole-wheat bread. Furthermore, instead of white rice, try brown rice. These whole-wheat food products are made with whole grains that have been minimally processed.
Complex carbohydrates provide maximum nutrition and energy to the body while also increasing satiation.
Beans, peas, legumes, fruits, and vegetables are examples of complex carbohydrates.
Remove sugar from your diet.
Reducing refined sugar consumption can hasten the process of losing belly fat. According to research, there is a direct link between sugar consumption and increased belly fat.
Fructose (particularly in sugar) has been shown to increase adipose distribution in the abdomen. As a result, it makes it more difficult for your metabolism to degrade the fat in that area.
Furthermore, fructose increases the expression of specific genes that promote lipid synthesis in the body.
You can swap refined sugar for healthier alternatives. Replace sugary drinks like soda with fruit juices or flavoured water, for example.
You can also substitute natural sugar-free sweeteners, honey, or jaggery.
Increase your protein intake.
Increasing your protein intake can make you feel fuller, boost your metabolism, and help you retain muscle mass.
Furthermore, a study found a link between increased lean protein intake and decreased abdominal fat. This condition is caused by increased thermogenesis following the consumption of lean proteins.
To put it simply, the rate of calorie burn after protein consumption was higher than after carbohydrate consumption.
Meat, eggs, fish, beans, lentils, dairy (or dairy substitutes), and yoghurt are all good sources of healthy proteins.
Include soluble fibre in your diet.
Soluble fibre passes through our intestines undigested, aiding in weight loss. It makes us feel full and reduces the number of calories our bodies can absorb.
Furthermore, it lengthens the time between meals, reducing the amount of food consumed.
Oats, legumes, berries, flax seeds, and raw fruits and vegetables are all good sources of dietary fibre.
Read – 7 Side Effects of Rapid Weight Loss
Exercise
Exercising for at least 30-40 minutes per day can significantly improve health. Some abdominal exercises are designed to help you lose belly fat.
However, it is not possible to target or spot-reduce fat in any part of the body. So, the only way to lose fat is to target fat in all areas of your body at the same time.
It is possible to work out your entire body by combining the exercises listed below. You may lose belly fat as a result of this process. The key word here is consistency, not intensity.
Aerobic workouts
Aerobic exercises, such as cardio, are among the most effective ways to lose belly fat. A study found a direct link between cardio workouts and a decrease in visceral belly fat.
Swimming, cycling, running, and brisk walking are all examples of cardio exercises.
High Intensity Interval Training
High-intensity interval training is an exercise routine that consists of alternating between high-intensity and low-intensity workouts with rest periods in between.
As a result, it is yet another effective way to lose weight and burn belly fat.
Jumping jacks, burpees, squatting, deadlifting, and other exercises are examples.
Strengthening your muscles
Resistance training is a collection of exercise routines that includes weight lifting and strength training.
According to one study, combining resistance training and aerobic exercises effectively reduces visceral fat in the abdominal region.
Squats, lunges, and bicep curls are examples of these exercises.
Exercises for the abdomen
Abdominal exercises are designed to strengthen and tone the abdominal muscles.
As a result, it may aid in the reduction of visceral belly fat. Planks, crunches, and leg lifts are examples of abdominal exercises.
Other effective ways to lose belly fat include reducing alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, improving your sleeping patterns, and reducing stress in your life.
Diets for Weight Loss: Fact or Fiction?
Several weight-loss diets can now be found on the internet, in magazines, and in newspapers. The real question is whether they are practical and how they work.
Many of these diets claim to help you lose weight by restricting your calorie intake. These diets, however, are not sustainable in the long run.
A study shows that fad “weight loss diets” do not work for the majority of people for a variety of reasons. Furthermore, these popular weight-loss diets are not sustainable for a middle-class working individual.
A healthy lifestyle is the most effective way to lose belly fat. The best way to accomplish this is to exercise for 30 to 40 minutes every day.
A balanced diet based on one’s lifestyle, age, and habits is also a sure way to achieve a flat stomach.
Finally, making small changes in your daily life can result in a healthier body with less belly fat.
Summary
Excess belly fat can be caused by a lack of exercise, a poor diet, smoking, stress, a poor sleep schedule, and genetic factors.
The simplest and most effective way to lose belly fat is to switch from a stressful to a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
Include a regular exercise routine that includes cardio, weight lifting, abdominal exercises, and intense training. A healthy diet is essential for losing belly fat.
Make a deliberate decision. Replace appetising and processed foods with complex carbohydrates, soluble fibres, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
Furthermore, avoiding sugar and smoking can significantly improve your chances of losing belly fat.
Many internet fad diets claim to quickly reduce belly fat. They are, however, ineffective in the long run.
So, maintain a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the pleasure of living a healthy and happy lifestyle.
Questions and Answers (FAQs)
Q. What kind of belly fat do I have?
A. Your abdominal region may contain both visceral and subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat surrounds the organs, while subcutaneous fat is located just beneath the skin.
Q. What causes females to have large stomachs?
A. Females may have excess belly fat for a variety of reasons. These factors could include a lack of exercise, stress, poor sleeping habits, and a poor diet.
Q. How can I lose belly fat quickly?
A. The most effective and long-term way to lose belly fat is to eat a healthy balanced diet and exercise regularly. Cardio exercises, weightlifting, and abdominal exercises are examples of practical exercises.
Q. How can I lose 30 pounds in 30 days?
A. Extensive aerobic exercises can help you lose abdominal fat in a month. Weight training and abdominal exercises are examples of these exercises. In addition, you should eat a healthy diet.
Q. What exercises help you lose belly fat in two weeks?
A. By performing extensive aerobic exercises, weight training exercises, and abdominal exercises, you can reduce the amount of fat in the abdominal region in 1-2 weeks.
Q. Is it possible to lose belly fat in 7 days?
A. In 1-2 weeks, you can reduce the amount of fat in your abdomen. Aerobic exercises, weight training, abdominal exercises, and a healthy diet can all help.
Some diets claim to drastically reduce belly fat in a short period of time. However, they are not sustainable. As a result, try to avoid such diets. A drastic change may not be beneficial.
Q. What exercise burns the most belly fat?
A. The most belly fat is burned by combining a healthy, unprocessed diet with a regular 30-40 minute exercise routine.
Q: What should I eat on a daily basis to lose belly fat?
A. You can lose belly fat by including a variety of foods in your diet. Foods high in complex carbohydrates, soluble fibre, lean protein, and healthy fats are beneficial and can aid in weight loss.
Q. What foods help you lose belly fat in a week?
A. Don’t expect to see dramatic changes in a week. Eat foods high in complex carbohydrates, soluble fibres, lean proteins, and healthy fats if you want to lose belly fat.
