Causes of Belly Fat

The part of the body that makes you lose shape the most when it stores too much fat is the belly. Nothing can be as disturbing as a pot belly. There is no way to hide or cover a protruding belly. The belly becomes more conspicuous when you are putting on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans trousers. It is worse when it is a woman that has it as people may mistake it for pregnancy. This can lead to depression if not well managed. The best way to handle belly fat is to start with the causes. It is advisable to know the causes. It is useful for not only people with belly fat but it is also for people who do not have it because it will help them avoid it completely.

Belly fat is the accumulated fat in the body and there are several causes. Some of the causes of belly fat are discussed below:

Aging

As one grows older, the body metabolism slows down. Thereby it dissipates fewer calories even when there is no significant change in the diet and level of activity. Some of these unused fats are stored in and around the belly. In reality, it is worse because there would always be a drop in the level of activity. Or can a 50-year old man be as active as he was, in his early twenties?  There is no gainsaying that less activity will always result in less burning of calories and a larger store of fats.

Menopause

It is natural for women to add on more fat as they grow older. Besides, it is believed that menopause enhances \less burning of fats and more storing of it and most of the fats are stored in and around the abdomen which is more or less the belly. Pregnancy also enhances fat accumulation and the body would not burn all the stored fats after child birth except if you put in more efforts towards shedding of fats.

Over-Eating

Eating a lot of food that has high fat content will increase the rate at which fat would accumulate in your belly, especially if your daily calories intake is much more than the calories you dissipate daily. A lot of us have the habit of eating much more than what our bodies require to function properly. If you are not ready to change your diet, then it is advisable to reduce the quantity you eat gradually. Cultivate the habit of stopping your meal immediately you start feeling full no matter how sumptuous the meal may be.

Alcohol

Alcohol has a lot of calories. So the more you drink the more you consume calories. If you are serious about shedding your weight, then you should either reduce the quantity of beer you consume daily or give up beer completely and then cultivate the habit of doing some exercise regularly.

Dangers of Excess Belly Fat

When there is too much fat in your belly, you have a higher tendency to develop high blood pressure, heart disease and even diabetes. The best way to keep tabs on your belly fat is to measure the length of your waist regularly. Once the length of the waist of man reaches 40 inches and a woman, 35 inches, there is trouble. It really calls for concern. In that case, a weight loss program is needed urgently.

How to Lose Belly fat

The best way to lose your belly fat is a consistent exercise. Not just any kind of exercise but the type of exercise that increases the rate of the heart beat. Doing this up to three times a week is good enough. Apart from a regular exercise, your diet should be balanced and it should contain grains, fruits and vegetables. For the weight loss to be permanent, your weekly weight loss should not exceed 2 pounds.

Having known the causes of belly fat, you are expected to incorporate all the tips into your lifestyle for healthier living, absolute expulsion of body fat and avoidance of habits that would aid the accumulation of belly fat.