Abdominal fat is mainly visceral fat. When the calories eaten are greater than the calories consumed, the excess calories will be converted into fat and temporarily stored in the abdomen. If fat is stored in areas other than the abdomen, it does not meet the “proximal effect of the center of gravity of fat accumulation”. Only stored in the abdomen will not cause the change of the center of gravity when the person changes posture, and the person maintains the balance when walking. Major Causes of Belly Fat
The fat stored in the abdomen is used for energy when the body is deficient in calories. But the problem of modern people is that they take in too many calories for a long time, and they can only get in and can’t get in, and the lower abdomen will only become more and more convex.
5 Causes of abdominal obesity
- Excessive stress
Georgie Fear, author and dietitian of “Lean Habits for Lifelong Weight Loss,” says the body secretes “corticosteroids” during times of stress, causing more abdominal fat to accumulate. Therefore, when you are stressed, if you want to lose weight by reducing your calorie intake, the weight loss may not be in the abdomen, but more likely in other parts.
Plus, stressed women tend to have more belly fat than average, according to a study by the University of California, San Francisco. Therefore, if you want to lose weight, you must adjust the pressure and release it.
- Training abdominal muscles
Albert Maschinie, a fitness trainer and nutritionist at the SoHo Strength Lab in the United States, pointed out that if you only overtrain specific parts, the weight loss effect is usually not significant. Many people think that sit-ups, crunches, or planks can help you lose weight, but in fact, these exercises only strengthen the core muscles and will not help reduce abdominal fat. Instead, you should focus on exercising the muscles of the whole body.
If you want to lose weight, you should exercise more than one muscle group in your body, because the more muscles you train, the more calories you will burn and the less fat around your belly. And Maschinie also said that squats, deadlifts, push-ups, pull-ups or rocket pushes are all highly recommended moves!
- Love to eat sweets
The intake of sweets is also the main reason for not losing weight! Usually processed foods contain “fructose”, and the metabolism of fructose is different from that of ordinary carbohydrates, so foods high in fructose are relatively easy to accumulate belly fat. And of course, fruit also contains fructose, but don’t worry! Unless you eat more than 12 bananas a day, don’t worry about eating fruit and accumulating belly fat, but reduce your intake of processed foods!
- A large belly is not a problem of “fat”
Among women with lower abdomen problems, it may actually be just because they often wear jeans and flatulence, so the abdomen looks bulging; or because of digestive discomfort such as irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance, or celiac disease. , causing the abdomen to appear slightly larger.
It is recommended to eat foods rich in dietary fiber to make gastrointestinal motility smoother. In addition, foods such as fruits, greens, and tofu can keep your gut healthy, and sugary foods should be avoided, because sugars tend to generate gas and cause flatulence.
- Insufficient protein intake
If you want to reduce belly fat, the intake of “protein” is important! A study of 90 women conducted by McMaster University in Canada showed that women who ate more protein lost more weight than women who ate less and lost even less belly fat. twice as many people. That means eating high-protein foods will reduce fat first, insulin sensitivity will increase, and body fat will decrease.
Experts also suggest that 30% of the total calorie intake in a day is the most appropriate protein intake for the human body, so as to achieve the most ideal weight loss effect. For example, a woman who needs to consume 1800 calories a day should consume 540 calories of protein and distribute the protein intake evenly according to the three meals.
The dangers of excess abdominal
We all know that obesity is harmful to health, but the health effects of excess belly fat are ignored by many people. The accumulation of visceral fat in the abdomen can seriously affect health, leading to abdominal inflammation, liver disease and other health problems, and even an increased risk of cancer.
So what are the health risks of excess belly fat?
- Increased risk of diabetes
Excessive belly fat increases the likelihood of developing diabetes. If the body stores fat primarily in the abdomen, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes is greater than the risk of storing fat elsewhere. Visceral fat means that more fat accumulates in key organs responsible for glucose metabolism, which leads to insulin resistance and beta cell dysfunction, promoting abnormalities in glucose homeostasis.
Reducing belly fat can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, and there are many cardio exercises, such as jogging, dancing, which can effectively reduce belly fat.
- Increased risk of cardiovascular disease
Excess belly fat, which leads to high triglyceride levels and low levels of HDL, increases the risk of heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases, as well as makes heart disease symptoms worse.
- Increased risk of high blood pressure
People with high levels of fat in the abdominal cavity and around abdominal organs are more likely to develop high blood pressure, which can lead to a range of complications.
- Increased risk of cancer
Excess belly fat increases the risk of different types of cancer, including colorectal, pancreatic, breast, and uterine cancers. Visceral fat that builds up between organs is directly linked to various cancers because a certain protein released in body fat can cause non-cancerous cells to transform into cancerous cells. Belly fat is more likely to be the culprit than fat under the skin, even releasing more of this protein and promoting tumor growth.
- Causes sleep apnea
Abdominal fat is one of the risk factors for sleep apnea, especially in men, with significantly higher visceral fat in patients with obstructive sleep apnea than in patients without obstructive sleep apnea.
So what are the ways to burn belly fat?
- Avoid drinking
Excessive alcohol consumption can seriously harm your health, and one of the negative effects of alcohol on the body is an increase in belly fat. Drinking less alcohol can help reduce belly fat, and if you can’t stop drinking completely, you need to limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
- Exercise regularly
Aerobic exercise is an effective way to reduce belly fat. In addition to cardio, resistance training can further help reduce belly fat. Before starting high-intensity resistance training, it’s a good idea to ask your fitness trainer what exercises are right for you.
- Get enough sleep
Sleep affects all aspects of human health, including belly fat. People who don’t get enough sleep tend to have excess belly fat. Sleep apnea is also associated with excess visceral fat. Get at least 7 hours of quality sleep every night to control fat gain.
Whatever the cause of belly fat, one thing is for sure, it’s not good for your health. To get rid of belly fat, apart from exercising, diet is also very important, consuming trans fat can lead to excess belly fat as well as inflammation, insulin resistance and various other diseases in the body, so be sure to strictly control the intake of trans fat.