What Is Causing Me To Gain Belly Fat?

Being overweight presents some health risks. Belly fat is one type of extra weight that you may find distressing. Weight gained specifically in the belly is accompanied by extra fat around your organs, which can cause increased risk of disease. Determining the cause of the belly fat may help you fight it and reduce your risks.

Diet

Consuming more calories than needed can lead to weight gain, including belly fat. If you are eating more calories than usual, you may be gaining weight. It takes 3,500 calories to gain one pound, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Calories in excess of a balanced diet may come in the form of increased portion sizes, eating more snacks or drinking highly caloric beverages such as sodas or frozen coffee drinks.

Body Shape

Bodies may have either a "pear" or "apple" shape, according to diet author Anne Collins. Each of these shapes refers to distribution of weight and body fat. Although weight can change, your basic body shape cannot. Apple body shapes have most of the weight and fat concentrated in the middle. If you have an apple body shape, you are prone to gain more weight in your belly.

Hormones and Conditions

Certain health conditions can make you more likely to gain weight in your abdomen. Insulin resistance and polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS, are both associated with excess belly fat. According to Dr. Gabe Mirkin, high blood sugar levels increase abdominal obesity. Cortisol is a hormone that your body produces when you are under stress, which can also cause abdominal fat even in slender women, according to Science Daily.

Health Risks

Excess belly fat has serious health risks, including increased likelihood of heart disease and diabetes. According to the Harvard Medical School, abdominal fat produces endocrine hormones that cause inflammation. Abdominal fat is of a type called visceral fat, which also builds up around your internal organs and is linked to disease. You can still have visceral fat around your organs even if you are thin.

Stress and Depression

Stress and depression cause an increase in the hormone cortisol, which is linked to weight gain, especially in the abdomen. According to a 2009 study at the Harvard Medical School, stress also leads to emotional eating, which can increase weight. Stressful situations, such as job stress, low income, excess bills and family difficulties, are all associated with excess weight.