The migration of fat to the midsection is a topic that worries many people. It is known by the technical names abdominal fat and central obesity. Less flattering are names like “beer belly,” “muffin top, ” or “love handles.” Whatever its called, belly fat is the unflattering accumulation of fat deposits around the waist. With the approach of middle age, learning to how to lose belly fat is a central component to an overall plan of health and wellness.
Understanding Central Obesity
Belly fat is comprised (at least in part) of visceral fat, which is that fat located under the muscle, and threaded between organs, as opposed to being located just under the skin. For this reason, belly fat is associated with a host of health risks, including increased risk of early onset dementia, diabetes, heart disease, and colorectal cancer. Studies have shown that belly fat is biologically active. Scientists believe it secretes a variety of compounds, including hormones that raise insulin resistance and general inflammation.
Sex hormones have been shown to play a central role in controlling how fat is distributed in the body. Young men are more prone to accumulate belly fat than women, since testosterone promotes the development of belly fat. Estrogen promotes the formation of subcutaneous fat in the hips, thighs, and buttocks. As women enter middle age, and estrogen levels start to fall, they also develop a greater risk of developing belly fat.
It’s important to understand there is no no “magic bullet” that targets abdominal fat. The build up of fat within the body is based on calories; plain and simple. Eating more calories per day than are burned through regular activity plus exercise leads to weight gain, and the later build-up of fat. Although hormones play a role in where and how its stored, its mere presence is simply a function of calories.
With that in mind, applying these simple tips will speed your way to removing unwanted belly fat:
Start A Food Diary. The first step in understanding how to lose belly fat is figuring out how many calories you are consuming. Start by spending a week just writing down everything you eat. For a single week, track down everything that goes in your mouth, then figure your average daily calorie consumption by dividing overall calories by the number of days tracked. You may be surprised by this number.
Learn about calories. One of the most important first steps to controlling weight is understanding how many calories you should eat per day. There are a number of tools available for calculating your suggested daily calorie consumption. Most are based on BMI, and whether you agree with that measurement or not, they will get you in the ballpark for a reasonable calorie target. Use this number to plan your meals. Be sure to include a few healthy snacks during the day, and stick to that plan.
Start An Exercise Program. There’s a lot of evidence to show that belly fat is more metabolically active than its subcutaneous cousin. Although there’s no exercise that “targets” belly fat, there is evidence to support the idea that the body will lose visceral fat at a faster rate than elsewhere. It’s also true that starting a low intensity exercise program helps reduce appetite, and improves sleep quality, both of which help control hunger. So, talk to your doctor about starting a low intensity exercise program.
Understanding how to lose belly fat requires applying a handful of simple principles. While these techniques don’t guarantee fast weight loss, they will get you started down a path of sustainable, long-term weight loss.
Published May 2011, updated December 2011.
References
- “Central Obesity And Increased Risk Of Dementia More Than Three Decades Later” Neurology September 30, 2008 vol. 71 no. 14 1057-1064. Accessed November 2011.
- “Index Of Central Obesity” SciTopics. Accessed November 2011.
- “Inactivity, Exercise, And Visceral Fat. STRRIDE: a randomized controlled study of exercise intensity and amount” Journal of Applied PhysiologyOctober 2005 vol. 99 no. 4 1613-1618
- Photo Credit
Greg,
Thanks for posting this. I wish more Americans knew this information, rather falling for the next scam ‘belly-fat burner’ on the market every month. The only sure-fire things that work is a continuous moderate calorie deficit, and that’s it.
Keep posting the truth. Sure, you won’t be rich and famous, or even make the news, but fact is fact. Great post!
Thanks Jeff! It’s not glamorous, or flashy, but it does work.
Also a candidate for consideration: intermittent fasting. Great post.
It’s my experience that calories are irrelevant to fat loss or gain. I was diagnosed with Type II Diabetes in 2004. I lost 70 pounds between 2006-2008 initially with low carb eating (taking the best from South Beach Diet and Atkins). In late 2008 I discovered Gary Taubes’ book, “Good Calories, Bad Calories”. This book explained to me why as a person with a propensity to gain weight in general, and abdominal fat in particular, to have high glucose levels, hypertension, and high LDL and Triglycerides, equaled Metabolic Syndrome (Syndrome X) . The book both explained and reinforced what I knew worked. Eating moderate protein (seafood and unprocessed meat), more healthy fats (avocado, nuts, EVOO, Coconut Oil), and bountiful organic veggies, with a minimal amount to high fiber fruit, did the trick. Thankfully I discovered farmer’s markets and learned about CAFO’s and to steer clear of most farmed seafood. I learned that simple carbohydrates were an addiction for me, and learned through experimentation that a limited amount of seeds, high fat dairy, and high fiber fruit, along with unlimited non-starchy vegetables were the way to carefully choose what carbs were best for my body for fat loss.
It’s good that you found something that works for you — which is the most important thing, of course. However, I suspect if you went back and looked at the calorie distribution, you’d find that the transition to whole grains, high fiber, and less starch likely resulted in fewer average daily calories, while the higher fiber content helped keep you feeling fuller. That was my basic approach when I started — targeting 30-grams of fiber daily. Not an easy proposition, but it worked wonders for me! Congratulations on finding what works for you!
Good stuff Greg. Very well written!
I’ve read countless studies that suggest that belly fat is the only type of fat that matters, as it alone increases the likelihood that you’ll develop the health problems you mentioned. In other words, the other areas we store fat do not significantly increase our likelihood of developing these issues.
Sort of a cruel joke don’t you think? Q. Where’s the worst place to have fat? A. Right where most people have it.
Beer = Good. Beer Belly = Bad
-Matt
Great advice, Greg. The sad part is that the belly fat is some of the most difficult to jettison.
I was hoping for a secret, no fail way to loose it. Guess I just have to keep trying the hard way. It’s frustrating but I keep at it. Ug.