Call it your "muffin top,"
"middle-age spread," "jelly rolls" or "apron,"
but there's nothing harmless about belly fat. Excessive belly fat puts you at a
high risk of developing chronic disease. Men with a waist larger than 37 inches
and women with one larger than 31.5 inches should be concerned about the
potential health consequences. Understanding why your belly expands can help
you take measures to shrink it.
Dangers of Belly
Fat
Increased belly fat correlates with increased risk of metabolic
syndrome, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Women with a lot of belly
fat are more likely to develop breast cancer or need gallbladder surgery.
Subcutaneous fat, which lies just below the skin and usually is found at the
hips and thighs, doesn't act metabolically like visceral fat does. The
deep-lying belly fat surrounds internal organs and releases inflammatory
compounds that negatively affect your system.
Hormonal Causes of
Belly Fat
In men, testosterone drives the development of belly fat. Even in a
man's youth, he's putting down visceral fat cells, but high levels of
testosterone often keep them from expanding. As he ages and testosterone
naturally decreases, these fat cells expand, and his belly grows.
In women, fat is usually concentrated in the hips, thighs and buttocks to
support childbirth and breastfeeding. But as she ages and estrogen production
decreases, much of that fat redistributes to the belly, forming visceral fat.
Dietary
Reasons for Belly Fat
Belly fat can accumulate at any age, though,
especially if you make poor dietary choices. Too many calories from anything
can cause your middle to expand. Too much saturated fat, found in full-fat
dairy and fatty cuts of meat, and Trans fats, found in some processed foods,
can contribute to visceral fat development.
A diet heavy in refined sugar and grains often correlates with a larger waist
size. A study published in a 2009 issue of the Journal of Clinical
Investigation found that people who consumed fructose-sweetened soft drinks
were more likely to have visceral belly fat. Even diet soda drinkers could be
at risk. A study published in a 2015 issue of the Journal of the American
Geriatrics Society detected an association between consuming diet soda daily
and increased abdominal girth.
Refined grains, such as white bread and pasta, can also contribute to belly
fat. A study in a 2010 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
showed a correlation between increased refined grain intake and the development
of belly fat. Choose whole grains, such as brown rice or barley, instead, to
help keep your visceral fat growth at bay.
Lifestyle
Encourages a Fat Belly
According to the Rush University Medical
Center, a lack of physical activity encourages the buildup of belly fat. Be
more active regularly, by choosing the stairs over the elevator or parking
farther out in the lot, but also by consciously exercising most days. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you exercise at least 150
minutes per week at a moderate intensity. Increase that level of exercise to
experience more benefits, which include reduced accumulation of belly fat and
disease risk.
Getting too little or too much sleep, less than 5 hours or more than 8 hours
per night, also correlates with extra belly fat. Being under too much stress,
whether it's from bills or strict work deadlines causes your body to pump out
more of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol has an effect on where you store your
fat and, in many people; it leads to the development of visceral fat.