Belly fat not only looks unhealthy, it actually increases your risk of developing certain chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. USA Today reported in 2008 that more than 50 percent of Americans possess too much belly fat. Understanding the reasons why you develop belly fat can help you take action to lose it.
Poor Diet
The American diet, heavy in saturated fat, refined flour, added sugars and processed foods, contributes to the prevalence of people with too much belly fat. Foods that discourage belly fat accumulation, like whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits and lean proteins, feature less prominently in American diets. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention quoted a 2005 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System finding that only about 33 percent of adults consumed fruit more than two times per day and 27 percent ate more than three servings of vegetables per day.
Processed snack foods and fried fast foods containing transfats contribute to belly fat. A study published in the journal "Obesity" in 2007 demonstrated that monkeys who consumed transfats as part of a low calorie diet developed belly fat, as compared to those followed the same calorie diet without transfats.
Sedentary Lifestyle
A lack of physical activity contributes to a wider midsection. Movement all day long, in addition to targeted gym sessions, is important to weight management and the discouragement of belly fat. A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in 2007 found that in 175 sedentary, overweight participants, those who participated in no physical activity gained visceral fat over the course of six months. Those participating in even moderate exercise programs prevented further accumulation of belly fat, while those who were most active---equivalent to 20 miles of jogging per week--lost significant belly fat.
Vices
Smoking and drinking contribute to gaining belly fat. Any type of alcohol, when consumed in excess, changes the way in which your body metabolizes fat---encouraging it to store at the belly. A British study published in the journal Obesity Research in 2005 reported that smoking also contributes to an excessive amount of belly fat. In over 20,000 subjects, researchers found that smokers, even of normal weight, had a larger waist circumference compared with non-smokers.
References
- Obesity: Trans Fat Diet Induces Abdominal Obesity and Changes in Insulin Sensitivity in Monkeys
- Centers for Disease Control: Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Among Adults --- United States, 2005
- USA Today: Middle-Aged with Middle Fat? Dementia Risk Increases
- Journal of Applied Physiology: Inactivity, Exercise and Visceral Fat
- Obesity Research: Cigarette Smoking and Fat Distribution
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