Belly fat raises your risk of three silent killers – here’s how you can fight the flab
IF your belly is getting bigger and you are struggling to zip up your jeans it is time to take action.
A little extra weight on the middle is often dismissed as the price we pay for getting older, but belly fat can be a sign of serious health risks.
An expanding waistline usually means that as well as the subcutaneous fat we can see, there is also visceral fat on the inside. This can wrap around organs and is more worrying.
Weight-loss coach Dr Aishah Iqbal said: “Visceral fat can increase your risk of stroke, heart attacks and diabetes.
“It can also release substances that increase insulin resistance, elevating blood pressure and causing chronic inflammation.”
A bloated tum might not just be down to over-eating or fat.
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Here we look at some underlying causes of bulging bellies. . .
STRESS
FEELING stressed could create fat around your tummy.
Dr Iqbal said: “When we experience stress, a hormone called cortisol is released by the adrenal glands and this plays a vital role in the body’s response to stress.
“One of the effects of this is increased visceral fat deposition as cortisol promotes the storage of fat, particularly around the abdominal area.
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“Chronic stress can also cause insulin resistance, affecting the body’s ability to manage glucose levels and leading to fat storage around the tummy.”
LACK OF SLEEP
POOR sleep could explain weight gain around your tummy.
James Wilson, also known as The Sleep Geek, says: “If you have less than four hours’ sleep a night for four nights, the hormone that controls hunger, called ghrelin, and the one that controls how full we feel, leptin, are affected.
“This means poor sleep makes us feel hungrier and when we eat, it takes longer to feel full, so we sometimes over-eat.
“Plus, if we don’t get energy from sleep then we look for quick fixes of energy elsewhere, with sugar, carbs and junk food being popular.”
MEDICATION
ONE of the most common complaints about taking prescription medication is weight gain, especially around your middle.
Dr Iqbal said: “Weight gain, particularly around the abdomen, is a common side-effect of common corticosteroids and some anti-diabetic medication.
If you are worried, speak to your GP. They might be able to offer advice or an alternative. But no medication should be altered or stopped without talking to the prescribing clinician.”
NOT ENOUGH PROTEIN
RESEARCHERS have found that people who eat plenty of protein are less likely to develop metabolic syndrome (diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity), which causes tummy fat.
Nutritionist Amanda Ursell said: “This is because eating protein helps balance out blood sugar while reducing insulin levels, to promote a much faster metabolic rate.”
ALCOHOL
EVEN the recommended “safe” amount of alcohol — 14 units a week over three or more days according to the Department of Health — can lead to weight gain.
Plastic surgeon Paul Banwell said: “If you drink a lot of beer, wine or prosecco, you might end up with a protruding tummy because of extra fat there.
"While a beer-belly is more common in men, it affects women, too.
"Alcohol-based weight gain tends to lead to a larger belly and is also linked to fatty liver disease.”
GENETICS
VARIATIONS in the genes involved in fat storage, lipid metabolism and hormone regulation can play a role in developing fat around the abdomen.
Dr Iqbal said: “Even if someone has a genetic predisposition to storing belly fat, a healthy lifestyle can help manage and reduce excess abdominal fat.”
SUGAR
A HIGH intake of sugar and refined carbs, such as cakes and biscuits, is associated with what “fatty liver”, which drives the production of tummy fat.
Amanda says: “In a study, those with lower sugar diets were almost half as likely to have fat deposited around their tummies.
“People who glug sugary drinks each day have a 30 per cent increase in tummy fat over six years, compared with those who avoid them.”
INTOLERANCE
IF your belly feels big and bloated, rather than fat, food intolerances, such as to lactose or fructose, could be to blame.
Dietician Lorraine Cooney says: “Digestive conditions such as IBS and coeliac disease, triggered by gluten, may cause bloating.”
If you suspect an intolerance or digestive condition, keep a food diary to track meals and symptoms and consult your GP.
HORMONES
THE average woman gains 4.5lb when they go through menopause.
Dr Shirin Lakhani of Elite Aesthetics in Dartford, Kent, said: “During menopause, your body reduces the amount of hormones it makes, particularly oestrogen and progesterone, and bloating is a common symptom.”
Reducing carbs and refined sugars is best for tackling fat around the tummy at this time.
OVARIAN CANCER
OVARIAN cancer can cause weight gain and bloating.
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Dr Iqbal said: “Weight gain can also be associated with some cancers that produce tumours in this area such as ovarian cancer.
“While these are rare, if you are also experiencing symptoms such as abdominal pain, bloating, tiredness or feeling full quickly, get checked by your GP.”
