Belly fat is mostly visceral fat, a type of fat particularly harmful to your health. Too much extra weight around your middle can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers. Men with a waist size of 40 inches or greater, and women with one that is 35 inches or greater are at particular risk. Visceral fat usually reduces when you add exercise to your routine and change your diet. As part of this strategy, avoid certain foods that may be contributing to your expanding waistline.
Foods High in Saturated Fats
Too much of the wrong kind of fat can pad your diet with extra calories, leading to weight gain -- especially at your belly. Foods with high amounts of saturated fat, found in animal products such as full-fat dairy, cheese and fatty meat, are particularly problematic. A study in the journal "Diabetes Care," published in July 2007, found that a diet that replaced saturated fats with unsaturated fats actually helped prevent distribution of fat at the abdomen in 11 type 2 diabetics after 28 days. The two types of unsaturated fats, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, are found in most plant oils, avocados, nuts, seeds and fatty fish. In addition to helping keep belly fat under control, these fats may actually help raise your good levels of cholesterol and lower your bad levels. Seek to make 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories come from these fats.
Foods With Trans Fat
Trans fat, found in stick margarine, processed snack foods and commercially fried foods, can cause weight gain at the abdomen. In a study published in a 2007 issue of "Obesity," Wake Forest University researchers found that monkeys fed a diet that included trans fat accumulated belly fat even though their calorie needs were not exceeded. Monkeys fed a diet without trans fat did not experience belly fat gain. Limit your intake of fast food, packaged chips and processed baked products to avoid trans fats.
Refined Grains
The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide recommends limiting refined bread and grains -- such as white rice, white pasta and white breads -- to help you reduce waist size. Refined white carbohydrates cause a spike in your blood sugar and an immediate elevation in your insulin hormone, causing your body to accumulate fat more easily. A study in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 2004 examined eating habits of 459 healthy male and female participants and found that those whose diets focused on nonwhite bread along with dairy, fruit, nuts, seeds, whole grains and legumes experienced smaller gains in waist size after one year. The Tufts University researchers concluded that high-fiber foods along with dairy products may help prevent belly fat accumulation.
Alcohol
Too much beer or hard alcohol may cause you to gain belly fat. In addition to adding calories to your diet, alcohol interferes with fat metabolism, says Matt Bean, author of "The Belly Off! Diet." Although a big mid-section is referred to as a "beer belly," too much of any alcohol can cause your middle to expand. Wine may be an exception, but the research is inconclusive.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Belly Fat in Men: Why Weight Loss Matters
- PubMed.gov: Trans Fat Diet Induces Abdominal Obesity and Changes in Insulin Sensitivity in Monkeys
- The Harvard Medical School Family Health Guide: Abdominal Fat and What to Do About It
- PubMed.gov: Food Patterns Measured by Factor Analysis and Anthropometric Changes in Adults
- Diabetes Care: Monounsaturated Fat--Rich Diet Prevents Central Body Fat Distribution and Decreases Postprandial Adiponectin Expression Induced by a Carbohydrate-Rich Diet in Insulin-Resistant Subjects
- CBS: How To "Buckle Down" On Belly Fat
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