Unwanted belly fat is an often stubborn problem that many people are struggling to get rid of. Belly fat can be more than an aesthetic concern. The Mayo Clinic says people who have large amounts of fat in the waist area are at a greater risk of heart disease, stroke and certain types of cancer. It seems that fat around the middle is an inevitable fact of getting older. Aging is one of many contributing factors to belly fat.
Genetics
Genetics have a say in whether you will become overweight or obese. It's possible to inherit the tendency to carry excess fat around your waist.
Muscle Loss
Muscle mass tends to decline as you get older, especially if you are getting regular exercise. A loss of muscle causes the rate at which your body burns calories to decline. If you don't accommodate for this change by eating fewer calories or stepping up your level of physical activity, you are bound to gain weight in the abdomen and elsewhere.
Metabolism
As your metabolism becomes more sluggish with age, the amount of body fat slowly creeps upward. The Mayo Clinic says women gain more fat than men do. As a woman ages, the distribution of fat also changes. Fat now tends to accumulate almost exclusively in the abdomen, while it has decreased in the arms, legs and hips.
Hormones
Many women experience an excess of belly fat after menopause. These hormonal changes can cause some women to experience an expanding waistline without putting on any additional weight. This is because abdominal fat has increased while the surrounding body fat has diminished.
Alcohol
There is some truth to the old adage that drinking too much beer can give you a "beer belly." The complete truth is that drinking any type of alcohol to excess can cause belly fat. You may be able to limit the amount of fat you gain around the middle by drinking no more than two alcoholic drinks per day.
Lifestyle
Decreased physical activity contributes to weight gain around the waist and elsewhere as you age. In addition, not paying attention to portion size and eating junk food rather than filling up on lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and whole grains can result in excess belly fat.
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