12 Things That Make You Gain Belly Fat
Excess belly fat is extremely unhealthy.
It is a risk factor for diseases such as metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
The treatment term for unhealthy fat in the abdomen is visceral fat, "which refers to the fat that surrounds the liver and other organs of the stomach.
Even overweight, obese people are at higher risk of health problems.
Here are 12 things that will make you gain belly fat.
1. Sugary Food and drink
Many people eat more sugar every day than they think.
High-sugar foods include cakes and sweets with so-called “healthy” alternatives like muffins and frozen yogurt. Soft drinks, flavored coffee drinks and sweet tea are among the most popular sugar-sweetened beverages.
Observational studies have shown a link between high sugar intake and excess belly fat. This can be due to the large fructose content of the added sugar.
Regular sugar and high fructose corn syrup both contain high amounts of fructose. Regular sugar 50% fructose and high fructose corn syrup 55% fructose.
In a 10-week controlled study, overweight and obese people who consumed 25% of the calories as a fructose-sweetened beverage in a weight maintenance diet had reduced insulin sensitivity and increased abdominal fat.
A second study reported a reduction in fat burning and metabolism in people following a similar high-fructose diet.
Although too much sugar in any form can lead to weight gain, sugar-sweetened drinks can be especially troublesome. Soda and other sweet drinks make it easy to eat large amounts of sugar in a very short time.
Also, studies have proven that liquid calories do not have the same effect on appetite as calories from solid foods. It doesn’t make you feel full when you drink your calories, so you don’t make it by eating less of other foods.
SUMMARY:
Frequent consumption of foods and beverages high in sugar and high fructose corn syrup can increase belly fat.
2. Alcohol
Alcohol can have both unhealthy and harmful effects.
When eaten in moderation, especially as red wine, it can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
However, excessive alcohol consumption can cause inflammation, liver disease and other health problems.
Some studies have shown that alcohol suppresses fat burning and that excess calories from alcohol are partially stored as belly fat, hence the term “beer belly”.
Studies have linked the amount of alcohol consumption to weight gain by half. One study found that men who drank three more drinks a day were 80% more likely to have belly fat than those who drank less alcohol.
The amount of alcohol consumed during the twenty-four hour period also seems to play a role.
Another study found that the drinks you drank each day contained at least belly fat while excess belly fat.
SUMMARY:
Excessive alcohol consumption increases the risk of several diseases and is related to excess abdominal fat.
3. Trans fats
Trans fats are the unhealthy fats on the planet.
These are made by adding hydrogen to unsaturated fats to make them more stable.
Trans fats are often used to extend the shelf life of packaged foods like muffins, baking mixes, and crackers.
Trans fats have been shown to cause inflammation. This can lead to insulin resistance, heart disease, and various other illnesses.
There are also some animal studies that suggest that a trans fat diet can cause excess belly fat.
At the end of the one-year study, the monkeys provided 33% more belly fat than 8% monounsaturated fatty foods, despite both groups consuming 8% trans-fatty foods and consuming enough calories to maintain weight.
SUMMARY:
Trans fats increase inflammation, which can lead to insulin resistance and abdominal fat accumulation.
4. Inactivity
A sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest risks for poor health.
During the past decades, people have become less active. This has likely contributed to the rise in obesity rates, including abdominal obesity.
A large survey in the United States in 198-2010 found that men and women had significantly increased inactivity, weight, and waist circumference.
Another observational study compared women who watched television for more than three hours a day with those who watched less than one hour a day.
The risk of "acute abdominal obesity" was almost twice that of the group that watched the most television.
One study further suggests that inactivity helps regain belly fat after weight loss.
In this study, the researchers reported that people who practiced resistance or aerobic exercise for 1 year after weight loss were able to prevent the regain of abdominal fat, but those who did not exercise had an increase in abdominal fat within a year. 25-238%.
SUMMARY:
Inactivity can promote an increase in belly fat. Prevention and aerobic exercise can restore belly fat after weight loss.
5. Low protein diets
Getting enough protein in your diet is one of the most important factors in preventing weight gain.
High-protein diets can make you feel full and satisfied, increase your metabolism, and reduce spontaneous calorie intake.
On the contrary, taking less protein can help you gain belly fat in the long run.
Several large observational studies have shown that everyone who consumes the highest amounts of protein has the least amount of belly fat at home.
Additionally, animal studies have shown that a hormone known as neuropeptide Y (NPY) increases appetite and increases abdominal fat. When your protein intake is low, your NPY levels rise.
SUMMARY:
Low protein intake can boost your appetite and increase belly fat. May increase appetite hormone neuropeptide Y.
6. Menopause
Gaining belly fat during menopause is extremely common.
During adolescence, the hormone estrogen signals the body to store fat in the hips and thighs in preparation for a possible pregnancy. This subcutaneous fat is not harmful, although it can be extremely difficult to lose in some cases.
Menopause officially occurs one year after a woman has her last menstrual period.
During this time, her estrogen levels drop dramatically, causing fat to accumulate on her abdomen rather than on her hips and thighs.
Some women gain more belly fat at this time than others. It can be partial genetics, as well as the age at which menopause begins. One study found that women who completed menopause at an earlier age had less belly fat.
SUMMARY:
Hormonal changes in menopause cause changes in fat storage from the hips and thighs to the visceral fat in the abdomen.
7. Wrong intestinal bacteria
Hundreds of different types of bacteria live in your gut, mainly your colon. Some of these bacteria are beneficial to health, while others can cause problems.
The bacteria in your stomach are also known as intestinal microbiome or plants. Intestinal health is important for maintaining a healthy immune system and avoiding illness.
An imbalance in your gut bacteria increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases.
There is also some research suggesting that having an unhealthy balance of stomach bacteria can lead to weight gain, including belly fat.
Researchers have found that obese people weigh more than normal-weight fermented bacteria. Studies suggest that these types of bacteria may increase the amount of calories absorbed from food.
An animal study found that bacteria-free rats received significantly more fat than rat-derived bacteria when they received stool replacements from obese bacteria.
Studies of thin and obese twins and their mothers have confirmed that there is a common "root" part of plants in families that can affect weight gain, including where weight is stored.
SUMMARY:
Bacterial imbalances in the gut can lead to weight gain, including belly fat.
8. Fruit juice
Fruit juice is a sweet drink in disguise.
Even 100% unwanted fruit juices contain a lot of sugar.
In fact, 8 oz (250 ml) of apple juice and cola contains 24 sugars. The same amount of grape juice contains 32 grams of sugar.
Although fruit juices provide some vitamins and minerals, the fructose in them can increase insulin resistance and increase belly fat.
What’s more, it’s another source of liquid calories that are easy to overeat, but still don’t satisfy your appetite like solid foods.
SUMMARY:
Fruit juice is a high-sugar drink that can increase insulin resistance and belly fat if you drink too much.
9. Stress and cortisol
Cortisol is an essential hormone for survival.
It is produced by the adrenal glands and is known as the "stress hormone" because it helps your body to respond to stress.
Unfortunately, when it becomes excessive, especially in the abdominal area it can lead to weight gain.
Stress among many people leads to overeating. However, instead of storing extra calories as body fat, cortisol encourages stomach fat storage.
Interestingly, women who have larger waists in proportion to their hips have been found to secrete more cortisol during stress.
SUMMARY:
The hormone cortisol, which is secreted in response to stress, can increase abdominal fat. This is especially true for women with a waist-to-hip ratio.
10. Low fiber diet
Fiber is incredibly important for good health and weight management.
Some types of fiber help you feel full, stabilize appetite hormones, and reduce the absorption of calories from food.
In 1,114 observational studies of men and women, soluble fiber intake was associated with a reduction in abdominal fat. For every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber, abdominal fat accumulation was reduced by 3 ... 7%.
High levels of refined carbohydrates and a low-fiber diet appear to have the opposite effect on appetite and weight gain, including increased abdominal fat.
A large study found that fiber-rich whole grains were associated with a reduction in belly fat, while refined grains were associated with an increase in belly fat.
SUMMARY:
Diets low in fiber and high in refined grains increase abdominal fat.
11. Genetics
Genes play an important role in obesity risk.
Similarly, it appears that the tendency to store belly fat is partially influenced by genetics.
These include cortisol receptor genes and regulatory genes and genes encoded for leptin receptors that control calorie intake and weight.
In 2014, researchers identified three new genes associated with waist-to-hip ratio and abdominal obesity, two of which were found only in women.
However, more research is needed in this case.
SUMMARY:
Genes play a role in the ratio of high waist to buttocks and in storing additional calories as belly fat.
12. Not getting enough sleep
Getting enough sleep is critical to your health.
Many studies have linked insufficient sleep to weight gain, including belly fat.
A large study followed 68,000 women over a 16-year period.
Those who slept 5 hours or less per night were 32% more likely to gain 32 pounds (15 kg) than those who slept at least 7 hours.
Sleep disorders can also lead to weight gain. One of the most common ailments is sleep apnea, a condition in which shortness of breath causes obstruction of the airways and causes the soft tissues of the throat to stop breathing repeatedly during the night.
In one study, researchers found that obese men with sleep apnea had more abdominal fat than obese men without the disorder.
SUMMARY:
Lack of sleep or poor-quality sleep can lead to weight gain due to the accumulation of abdominal fat.
BOTTOM LINE
There are many different reasons why you can gain extra belly fat.
There is not much you can do to change your genes and hormones during menopause. But there are many more factors that you can control.
Making healthy decisions about what to eat and what to avoid, how much exercise you do, and how you apply stress can help you lose belly fat.
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