Pecohub For many women, belly fat is an unfortunate reality. Unfortunate in that it can lead to more serious issues, including diabetes and even a heart attack.
Belly fat can increase over the years and is nothing to joke around about. In this gallery, you’ll find some of the leading causes of belly fat, as well as symptoms and how to reduce it.
Belly fat is especially troublesome since it is in the layer of padding below the skin (subcutaneous fat) and includes visceral fat or those that lie deeper in the abdomen and surround internal organs.
A person’s weight predominately depends on four factors: how many calories they intake each day; how many calories they burn daily; age; and genetics.
Having a significant amount of belly fat can cause you to be at risk of high blood pressure. High blood pressure means the heart needs to work harder to pump blood to your body.
Belly fat can mean an increased risk of unhealthy fat in your blood. If fat builds up in your vessels, it can actually plug up arteries and restrict blood flow. Too much blockage and a heart attack might occur.
According to the Sleep Foundation: “Increased abdominal girth from excess fat can compress a person’s chest wall, decreasing lung volume. This reduced lung capacity diminishes airflow.” All of this can make it more challenging to sleep.
Numerous studies have shown that people who carry excess weight in the abdominal region are more likely to have health problems, including heart disease.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), abdominal obesity can, on average, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes “more than twofold.”
There is research that shows that having an obese waistline can actually increase your likelihood of certain cancers, like colorectal, pancreatic, breast (after menopause), and uterine cancers.
In women particularly, studies show that “abdominal obesity is associated with an increased risk of ischaemic stroke.”
The NIH concluded that “fat infiltration of the liver is well correlated with the amount of abdominal fat.” It’s essential to maintain a healthy weight and limit fat intake.
According to Harvard Health, there is a higher risk of death associated with the more fat a person has in their abdomen. This centrally located fat is sometimes called having an “apple shape.”
As menopause approaches, estrogen levels start dropping. Estrogen is a hormone that helps regulate fat distribution. As levels decline, fats tend to gather in the abdomen versus places like the hips and thighs.
In postmenopausal women, 15-20% of total body weight is belly fat, while for premenopausal women it’s about 5-8%.
Stress is a large contributing factor. As the body becomes stressed, it produces cortisol. Cortisol is a hormone that encourages fat in the abdominal areas (amongst other things).
The increase in cortisol means it’s easier for women to gain and unfortunately retain that fat in the belly area. Stress management is a huge component of any plan to help manage your weight.
Blood sugar levels are regulated in part by the hormone known as insulin. If your body becomes insulin resistant, then it will start storing fat, predominately around the abdomen area.
