Top 8 Common Types Of Belly Fat And The Solution For Them

A belly fat is not an unusual issue which not only lowers your self-confidence but also brings to you many problems related to health such as heart disease, insulin resistance, diabetes, sleep apnoea, high blood pressure, etc. The number of people who have unhealthy fats centered on the stomach area has increased rapidly because of the unhealthy diet, stress, etc. Today’s article on Effective Remedies will talk about some common types of belly fat and the solutions for them. After reading it, please change your lifestyle immediately.

 

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Top 8 Common Types Of Belly Fat And The Solution For Them

I. Types Of Belly Fat

1. Belly Fat Caused By Pregnancy

The first belly fat type is the most lovely belly. The belly becomes fatter when women are in pregnancy is the usual case. Mothers have bigger tummies to create space for the babies. Although this period is one of the most meaningful time for women, it can cause some problems related to the skin of the belly because women gain weight rapidly during pregnancy. According to the National Health Service, women can have stretch marks during pregnancy^[1]. They are narrow pink or purplish streak-like lines developing on the surface of the skin.

2. Belly Fat Caused By Beer

Many people think that beer belly is caused by drinking beer, but the Havard Medical School shows that beer is no reason for the beer belly^[2]. If you consume food or drink which contain a high amount of calories and you do not get enough exercise to burn them, you will have beer belly^[2]. According to the Cleveland Clinic, beer contains a lot of calories which can make your belly become fat^[3]. To be specific, the average beer can have more than 150 calories. This type of belly should be avoided because it can lead to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, high cholesterol, erectile dysfunction, fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome and higher mortality^[3]

3. Belly Fat Caused By Sugar

According to an important new long-term analysis conducted by researchers in the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio of 375 seniors in Texas, there is a clear association between the number of diet sodas consumed and the belly fat^[4]. In this study, the participants who drank one or more diet sodas per day have an increase in waist circumference (3.16 inches over 9 years)  meanwhile the non-soda drinkers experienced less 4 times (0.8 inches), evenly participants who drank  diet soda occasionally (0-1 sodas per day) had an average waist increase of 1.83 inches over the course of the study. In addition, according to Andrew Odegaard, a research associate at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, consuming too much sugar-sweetened products such as soft drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, cupcakes, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, sweetened yogurt, cereal, candy can cause the belly fat^[5]. Moreover, many studies show that high intake of sugar-sweetened products not only do harm for your health but also are the causes of a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, gout, and weight gain^[5].

4. Belly Fat Caused By Stress

Stress can make you fat? Unfortunately, the answer is Yes. According to the lead author Sarah Jackson, a research associate at the Institute of Epidemiology and Health at University College London, there is a relationship between chronic stress and higher levels of obesity^[6]. Especially, bad mental health can lead to belly fat. A study in 1994 finds out that uncontrollable stress can be a source of abdominal fat distribution because of changes in cortisol secretion^[6]. To support this argument, according to health expert Jackie Wicks, co-author of new book Cheats & Eats: Lifestyle Programme, having too much cortisol which is stress hormone for a long time can increase the amount of fat that appears in your stomach^[7]. Erica Patel, MD, of the University of Southern California explains that by promoting the breakdown of protein stores into glucose to be used as fuel, the release of cortisol leads to high blood sugar levels. After that, high levels of cortisol seen in stress stimulates the storage of excess glucose as fat resulting in belly fat^[8].

5. Belly Fat Caused By Trans Fat

You can find trans fat in margarine, fried foods, and doughnuts; baked goods^[9]. A study in 2007 states that consumption of trans fat for a long time can lead to was weight gain, especially in belly even in the absence of caloric excess^[10]. Moreover, too much trans fat also causes a higher risk of death from any cause by 34%, coronary heart disease deaths by 28%, and coronary heart disease by 21%^[9]

6. Belly Fat Caused By Sleep Duration

Too much sleep or lack of sleep is also a cause of obesity, including the belly fat. A large study conducted with over 68,000 women for 16 years proved that people who slept 5 hours or less per night had a higher risk (32%) of gaining 32 lbs (15 kg) than those who slept at least 7 hours^[11]. The children can also be obese if they do not sleep enough^[12]. According to a new study published in the journal SLEEP conducted with African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans, there is a significant relationship between sleep duration and belly fat in persons younger than 40 years old. Researchers concluded that persons sleeping less than five hours or more than eight hours per night gained more abdominal fat over a five year period had a higher level of abdominal fat, in comparison with people who slept six to seven hours per night^[13]. This type of belly fat is very dangerous. Researchers found that obese men with sleep apnea had more abdominal fat than obese men without the disorder^[14]. As a result, along with having a healthy diet and doing exercise, it is important to sleep enough.

7. Belly Fat Caused By Menopause

When women are in the menopause period, they easily have belly fat because of the hormone’s changes. During this time, the dramatic decline in estrogen levels leads to the concentration of fat in the abdomen, rather than on the hips and thighs^[15] [16]

8. Belly Fat Caused By Inactivity

A study published in 2014 indicated that the risk of abdominal obesity became higher in inactive people^[17]. Moreover, in modern life, people tend to stay at home rather than participate in outdoor activities, which leads to a large number of abdominal obesity. According to a study in 2008, people who watched TV a lot had a higher risk of “severe abdominal obesity” (almost twice) compared to those who watched less TV^[18].

II. How To Get Rid Of Belly Fat

1. Healthy Diet

It is advisable for people who have a belly fat to have a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables while reducing the intake of white bread, processed meat, margarine, and soft drinks^[19]. The Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter recommended people to have a diet rich in colorful vegetables, fruits, and whole grains^[20]. People with belly fat should also add features nuts, fish, legumes, and olive oil to daily diet while limiting sweets and red and processed meats^[20]. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, a diet with a high intake of vegetables and fruits also help you to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, blood pressure, and even cancer^[21]. Besides, we have to control the intake amount of sugar. The suitable amount is suggested in 2009 by the American Heart Association which is no more than 100 calories a day for women and no more than 150 calories a day for men^[22]. In addition, it is necessary to reduce the amount of beer and other types of alcohol.

2. Exercise

If you want to prevent the belly fat, a healthy diet is not enough, so do not skip the exercise. A study in 2010 proved that doing aerobic exercise for 1 year after losing weight helped people to prevent abdominal fat regain. For people who did not exercise, they had a 25–38% higher risk of increasing in belly fat^[23]. Furthermore, doing exercise regularly not only helps you reduce the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers^[24] but also improves your mental health such as memory or thinking skills^[25]. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, the most healthy adults should participate in aerobic activities, such as brisk walking, for at least 150 minutes per week or vigorous aerobic activities, such as jogging, for at least 75 minutes per week^[26].

3. Sound Sleep

Too much sleep or lack of sleep can be the reason for belly fat. Therefore, you have to make sure that you have enough sleep with good quality. Sleeping enough (6 – 8 hours per night) is also an effective way to lose weight^[27].

4. Stress Relief

In modern life, stress is an unavoidable issue. One of the best ways to reduce stress is to do exercise. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, exercise produces endorphins which can act as natural painkillers for your brain, thus it can reduce the stress^[28]. Besides, reading is also an effective solution as it helps reduce stress up to 68%^[29]. Additionally, having pet gives owners many health benefits, including the lower rate of stress by declining levels of cortisol (a stress-related hormone)^[30]

5. Treating Stretch Marks As Soon As Possible

For women who are in pregnancy, they can use some products to treat stretch marks right after they appear. However, before using these products, it is important to ask the doctor to make sure that they are safe as some ingredients might be harmful to babies. In addition, eating much does not mean that the babies will be healthier, so pregnant women should also ask the doctor for the advice of suitable diet so that mothers gain less weight while babies still has enough nutrients.

6. Using Medicine

Women who are in the menopause period can use some medicine to maintain the hormones in the body. However, like pregnant women, they should ask the doctor before using to ensure that they do not suffer from side effects of the medicine.

In summary, we hope that this article gives you interesting and useful information about the kinds of belly fat. In general, anyone can have a belly fat due to many causes. The most common ways to avoid the belly fat are consuming healthy food, avoiding stress, and having enough sleep. Therefore, from now, you should stop the bad habits and start living in a healthy way. All content provided is for informational & educational purposes. Moreover, the health condition of each person is different. Therefore, we recommend you consult a healthcare professional to check your health and have a reasonable diet, even to cure your diseases related to belly fat if you have.

Your opinions, comments, and questions about our topic today are welcome in the comment box below. You can also give us some good activities to improve your health in general and to get rid of belly fat in particular. In addition, if you want to know more about the information about taking care of your body, please visit the Body Care page.