Women are less prone to belly fat than men and are more likely to gain weight in their thighs, hips and bottoms. However, many women do accumulate excess fat around their midsections, especially as they age. Because belly fat poses a health risk, it's important to know why it occurs and what can be done about it.
Fat Types
Elsewhere on your body, fat is likely to be subcutaneous. This means it forms a layer just beneath your skin and above your muscle. The fat in your stomach is mostly visceral. Visceral fat extends into the body's interior, surrounding internal organs.
Significance
Subcutaneous fat has inactive cells, which are harmless. Visceral fat has active cells, which release hormones that can cause metabolic disturbances. According to the Mayo Clinic, visceral fat has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke, low levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)--or "good"--cholesterol, high tryglycerides, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Visceral fat has also been linked to breast cancer and gallbladder problems in women. Even women at a healthy weight are at higher risk for health problems if they have an excess of stomach fat.
Causes
The Mayo Clinic goes on to state that a poor diet, lack of exercise, age and the overconsumption of alcohol--excluding wine--are all culprits for the accumulation of excess belly fat in both men and women. However, the most significant causes for increased belly fat in women have less to do with lifestyle and more to do with heredity and hormones. As a woman, you may have a genetic predisposition to store excess fat in your stomach area. In addition, the hormonal shifts that occur during menopause may contribute to an accumulation of fat around your midsection.
Both men and women tend to gain weight as they get older, mainly because of a slowing metabolism. However, women actually increase their overall fat percentage more than men as they age. In addition, a woman's fat distribution changes as she ages. Fat decreases in the arms, legs and hips and increases in the abdomen. This is commonly referred to as the "middle age spread,"
Identification
Your waist-to-hip and weight-to-height ratio are good indicators of whether your belly fat is at an unhealthy level. But you can make this determination more effectively just by measuring your waistline. Women with a waist size of more than 33 inches are at a higher risk of health complications than those with a smaller waist size, even if they are at a healthy weight, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Prevention and Solution
To combat belly fat and keep it from coming back, the Mayo Clinic recommends moderately intense exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. You should also have a balanced diet that's high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables and low in saturated fat. There are some spot exercises you can to to firm up your stomach, but these only strengthen and tone your muscles and won't reduce fat. The same methods used to shed overall weight are the best methods for ridding yourself of unwanted pounds around your midsection.
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