More than 1.9 billion adults were considered overweight or obese by the World Health Organization in 2016. It may be challenging to maintain a healthy lifestyle if you lead a hectic and stressful life. Belly fat has been caused by various factors, including stress, unhealthy eating, a sedentary lifestyle, and the easy availability of fast food.
Belly fat is one of the most difficult fats to get rid of. Stubborn belly fat requires a long-term, healthy routine. In addition, your weight and the amount of belly fat you have can be significantly affected by small lifestyle changes. Obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and liver damage are just a few health issues that an increase in abdominal fat can indicate.
Recent studies have shown that men’s and women’s bodies respond to types of belly fat. The Harvard Health Publishing reports that women have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, disease resistance, and high blood pressure due to belly fat than men. According to a hip-to-waist and BMI analysis, women have an 18% higher risk of having a heart attack. Type 2 diabetes and breast cancer in women can also be a result.
Types of Belly Fat
There are two types of belly fat: visceral fat and subcutaneous fat.
Subcutaneous fat lies just below the skin’s surface, while visceral fat covers the internal organs. Fat stored beneath the skin is generally harmless. However, visceral fat can cause various health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, liver damage, gall bladder problems, and dementia. In addition, visceral adipose tissue is “metabolically active” tissue, which means it burns calories. Subcutaneous adipose tissue, on the other hand, has a lower density of cells, blood vessels, and nerves.
Higher triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels and a lower HDL cholesterol level are associated with increased abdominal fat. From a variety of factors and diet, this fat is formed.
Why Do People Get Excessive Belly Fat?
1. Poor Diet
Increased belly fat can be attributed to a diet high in the wrong foods. Low protein and high carbohydrate diets can significantly impact weight, for example. Slowing down metabolism can also result from eating carbohydrates like bread, sugar, and soda. It can also lessen your body’s ability to burn fat effectively. Consequently, it leads to the accumulation of fat in the abdomen. Trans fats and saturated fatty acids, for example, are bad for the body. These fats can be found in various processed foods, baked goods, and junk food.
2. Lack of Physical Activity
Lack of exercise is a significant contributor to an increase in abdominal fat. Lack of adequate training may significantly impact belly fat more than caloric intake, according to one study. You can gain weight if you eat more than you expend each day. It becomes increasingly difficult to lose weight as fat stores grow.
3. Irregular Sleep Schedule
Indirectly, an irregular sleep schedule contributes to weight gain, particularly in the abdominal region. According to a new study, eating disorders like binge eating and emotional eating may be more common among people with irregular sleep schedules. For some people, binge eating is a way to deal with the stress of not getting enough sleep. Sleep deprivation may also cause an increase in stress levels. When you don’t get enough sleep, your metabolism slows down, and you’re less likely to burn fat.
4. Genetics
There is only one risk factor that we cannot control: our genetic makeup. People with specific genes are more likely to store fat in their abdomens, whether or not they are overweight. Genetics can also play a role in how efficiently our bodies burn fat. Some people, particularly those with excess belly fat, have difficulty losing weight due to a slow metabolism.
5. Stress
Cortisol is constantly released into the bloodstream by people who are always stressed. Cortisol is a stress hormone that helps the body prepare for danger and ensures it will live. On the other hand, this mode of survival does not consider effective digestion. As a result, our metabolism slows down. While fats are supposed to be digested and excreted by this hormone, it instead accumulates belly fat. On the other hand, stress can lead to unhealthy eating and sleeping habits, both of which contribute to increased abdominal fat.
6. Consuming Excessive Alcohol
According to research, fatty tissue in the body increases with excessive or binge drinking of alcohol. Belly fat is more likely to build up than any other area. Binge eating is a natural consequence of drinking too much alcohol (mostly unhealthy and fast food). One of the reasons for this is that alcohol can stimulate the release of opioids and GABA, two neurotransmitters. It is these neurotransmitters that cause the body to feel hungry. In addition, alcohol raises levels of hormones associated with fullness. Enzymes required for efficient carbohydrate digestion are prevented from being synthesized by them.
Why is belly fat harmful?
High levels of abdominal visceral fat have been linked to various long-term health problems. For example, metabolic syndrome is one of the most common risk factors for multiple cancers, diabetes, and heart disease.
Obese women’s fat distribution is linked to their risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders. Visceral adipose tissue (VAT) has several detrimental effects—the lipolysis or lipid digestion rate increases as the VAT in the body increases. Lipids in the liver can lead to liver disease, heart disease, and other metabolic problems. Many hormones and growth factors are secreted much more when VAT levels are increased. Several cardio-metabolic disorders are caused by the hormones and growth factors involved here.
How do you lose belly fat healthily?
Improve Your Diet
Eating a nutritious diet can improve your health and reduce belly fat. Lean protein, complex carbohydrates, and soluble fiber-rich foods can positively affect overall health. Buying food more healthily is one way to accomplish this. To help you improve your diet, here are a few ideas.
Introduce more complex carbs into your daily diet
Whole-wheat bread is a better option than white bread. In addition, try brown rice instead of white rice. Minimal processing is used to make these whole-wheat food items. As a result, the body gets the most nutrition and energy from complex carbohydrates, which are also more filling.
Beans, peas, other legumes, and fruits and vegetables are all examples of complex carbohydrates.
Cut out sugar from your diet completely.
Belly fat reduction can be accelerated by cutting back on refined sugar intake. According to studies, sugar consumption has been linked to an increase in belly fat.
Adipose distribution in the abdomen may be affected by fructose (specifically in sugar). As a result, your metabolism has a more challenging time breaking down the fat in that area. In addition, fat-synthesis-enhancing genes are also activated by fructose, which has been shown to affect the body positively.
You can swap out refined sugar for healthier alternatives. For example, try fruit juices or flavored water instead of sodas. In addition, you can use natural sugar-free sweeteners like honey or jaggery instead of refined sugars.
Increase the amount of protein in your diet
Adding more protein to your diet can help you feel fuller, boost your metabolism, and help you maintain muscle mass. Additional research shows that a higher lean protein intake is linked to a reduction in abdominal fat. The increased thermogenesis after consuming lean proteins is to blame for this condition. Simply put, protein consumption resulted in a higher calorie-burning rate than carbohydrate consumption.
There are several good protein sources, such as meats, eggs, fish, beans, lentils, dairy products, and yogurt.
Incorporate more soluble fiber into your diet
Our intestines can absorb soluble fiber, which helps us lose weight. Our bodies are less able to absorb calories when we feel full, making us less likely to overeat. Because it extends the time between meals, it reduces the amount of food ingested.
Oats, legumes, berries, flaxseeds, and raw fruits and vegetables are all excellent sources of dietary fiber.
Workout
Getting at least 30 to 40 minutes of exercise each day can dramatically impact one’s health. Abdominal exercises can help with weight loss by reducing fat around the midsection. Unfortunately, there is no way to precisely target fat in any body area, so spot-reduction is impossible. To lose weight, you must focus on reducing fat in every area of your body simultaneously.
You can work out your entire body by combining the following exercises. You can also lose belly fat while doing so. The most crucial factor here is the frequency of your workouts, not the intensity of your activities.
Aerobic training
One of the best ways to lose belly fat is aerobic exercises like cardio. According to a new study, there is a direct correlation between cardio workouts and visceral fat reduction.
Running and brisk walking are good examples of cardio exercises. Swimming and cycling are also good examples.
Interval training at a high intensity
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a type of training that alternates periods of high intensity with periods of rest or recovery. This means that it is an excellent way to lose weight and eliminate belly fat.
Jumping jacks, burpees, squats, and deadlifts are a few examples.
Resistance training
Weight lifting and strength training are two components of resistance training. According to a study, this combination of resistance training and aerobic exercise appears to reduce visceral abdominal fat.
Squats, lunges, and bicep curls are a few of the options.
Workouts that target the abdomen
The primary goals of lab-specific exercises are strengthening and toning the abdominal muscles. In addition to helping reduce visceral belly fat, it can also aid in weight loss. Planks, crunches, and leg lifts are all examples of abdominal exercises.
Additionally, reducing your alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, improving your sleep patterns, and reducing your stress levels are all effective ways to lose belly fat.
Summary
Lack of exercise, a poor diet, smoking, stress, an irregular sleep schedule, and a family history of the condition are just a few of the causes of a bloated belly. Changing your lifestyle from a stressful one to one that is healthy and sustainable is the simplest and most effective way to lose belly fat.
Regular cardio, weightlifting, ab exercises, and intense training should all be part of your routine. Following a healthy diet is the only way to eliminate belly fat. Make an informed decision. Consume complex carbs, soluble fibers, lean proteins, and healthy fats instead of sugary and processed foods.
Additionally, cutting out sugars and smoking can significantly impact your chances of losing weight around your waist. Fad diets abound on the internet, promising to reduce belly fat quickly. However, they are ineffective in the long run because they are not sustainable. So, make sure you live a healthy and happy life by following a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
