But excess belly fat does more than make it harder to fit your jeans. Research shows that belly fat also poses serious health risks. The good news? The risk of belly fat can be reduced. What causes belly fat
Your weight is determined by three main factors:
How many calories do you eat in a day
How many calories do you burn through exercise each day
Your age
If you eat too much food and exercise too little, you can gain weight, including belly fat.
Also, your muscle mass may decrease slightly with age, while fat increases. Losing weight also reduces the number of calories your body uses, which can make it harder to stay healthy.
Many women also experience an increase in belly fat as they age, even if they are not overweight. This may be due to the decrease in estrogen, which seems to affect the distribution of fat in the body.
The desire to gain or gain weight around the waist - and to have an "apple" instead of a "spear" - may also have a genetic component. Why belly fat is deeper than skin
Where belly fat accumulates
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Big belly
The problem with belly fat is that it's not just the fat layer under the skin (subcutaneous fat). It includes visceral fat - found in your abdomen, surrounding your body. While subcutaneous fat causes cosmetic problems, visceral fat is associated with more serious health problems, including:
heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
High blood pressure
Cholesterol is bad
breathing problems
Research also links abdominal fat to a higher risk of death, regardless of obesity. In fact, some studies have shown that even if women are considered to be of normal weight based on body mass index (BMI), a large waistline increases the risk of dying from heart disease. Measure your size
So how do you know if you have too much belly fat? Measure your waist circumference:
Stand straight and place a tape measure around your empty stomach, just above your waist. Pull the tape until it fits snugly around you, but doesn't go under your skin. Make sure the tape is flat all around. Relax, exhale, and bend your hips, resisting the urge to tuck in your stomach.
For women, a waist circumference greater than 35 inches (89 centimeters) indicates unhealthy belly fat accumulation and serious health problems. cut the fat
You can use crunches or other targeted abdominal exercises to tone the abdominal muscles, but doing these exercises will not get rid of belly fat. However, visceral fat responds to a diet and exercise regimen that helps you shed unwanted pounds and reduce your overall body weight. To fight belly fat:
Have a good meal. Focus on plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and choose protein sources and low-fat dairy products. Limit added sugar and saturated fat, found in meat and high-fat dairy products, such as cheese and butter. Instead, choose more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are found in fish, nuts, and some vegetable oils. Drink water or juices with initial sweeteners instead. Keep portion sizes under control. Even when you make healthy choices, the calories add up. At home, reduce your portion sizes. When you eat out, share food - or eat half of your meal and take the rest home. Make exercise a part of your daily routine. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends doing moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, for at least 150 minutes per week or aerobic activity. vigorous, such as running, at least 75 minutes per week. If you use the step counter, remember that it takes an average of 10,000 steps per day to avoid weight gain. Some studies show that it can take 15,000 steps a day to prevent weight gain when overweight. Strenuous exercise is also recommended at least twice a week. If you want to lose weight or achieve specific health goals, you may need to exercise more. To lose excess fat and keep it from coming back, aim to lose weight slowly. See your doctor to help you get started and stay on track.
