One of the worst beliefs that people have about weight gain is that they assume that as they begin to get older, that getting belly fat is just a natural part of the aging process and is something normal. Even though belly fat is more prevalent and usually begins to become more of a concern in middle aged adults, one can avoid gaining too much belly fat because having it can put them at risk for many health problems. Having belly fat can actually be very harmful and it is a concern that needs to be taken care of correctly.
Even though middle age and belly fat have a positive correlation, belly fat can occur anytime in someone’s life and it has far more to do than just overeating and inactive lifestyle. Certain medical conditions, thyroid problems and some side effects from certain medications can lead to belly fat also. Studies show that along with age, your family’s history, your birth weight and your hormones have are all contributing factors in the amount of belly fat that you will gain.
Some of the other causes of belly fat are mentioned below in detail.
Stress
Yes, this should come as no surprise at all. Stress is now being seem as the culprit behind most illnesses and problems humans, animals, and even machines get.
One of the main reasons is that when you become stressed you bodies release a hormone called cortisol. Cortisol sends signals to the liver and the liver defends the body by creating excess sugar in your system that you body really does not need. Then the body senses that it is hungry and you begin to eat and eat to solve this problem. Your are then taking in far more calories that you should and begin to gain weight everywhere, but mostly, your belly.
Your body is just trying to protect you, but unfortunately the outcome is belly fat. And this is very important to understand because now you need to take that information and make your body work for you so you can lose that unwanted belly fat. So staying away from stress, especially prolonged stress, is something that you need to train yourself to do so you can start producing less cortisol, which in turn leads to less belly fat.
Your Genetics
Continuing studies are finding that your genetics may not have a role in obesity but do play a large role in the development of belly fat. With this is mind it important to state that the speed at which your body takes fat in and breaks it down is influenced by your genetic makeup. Yours genes will help determine how much muscle tissue you will naturally have and the if you have more muscle tissue, you will be able to burn far more calories because of it.
Another role that your genes play is that it also influence where the fat in your body will be stored. Some people are more naturally pear-shaped and this is because they have a genetic predisposition to store fat in their abdominal region. Some people store fat more in their legs or their arms, others distribute it everywhere. So genes play a large role in all of this.
Your Metabolism
A slow or sluggish metabolism also is another contributing factor with this belly fat problem. As you age, your metabolism unfortunately begins to slow down. This does not always have to happen and certain types of exercises can help boost your metabolism. Nevertheless, it happens and when it slows down you are not able to burn of all those calories like you used to. Your body then takes all of those excess calories and stores them everywhere on the body – but mostly around the midsection.
Eating Before Bed Time
Many of us have gotten into the habit of eating late at night, and this actually completely understandable because food can soothe the body and can be used as a sleeping aid. Even though it makes a strong sleep-aid, it is not a healthy one, as far as belly fat is concerned. As a rule, you should try to never eat within 3-3&1/2 hours before you go to bed. This is because you want to be awake, active, and moving around so you can help your body digest the food. When you are in bed this will not happen and doing this continually will lead to weight gain.
If you are having a problem with eating late at night, remember you can slowly alter it by changing up what you eat at night. No more high carb meals and stay away from those starches. Try to eat a bannana, an apple, or some type of vegetable. I know this does not sound overly delicious, but you need to change this late night eating to help reduce that belly fat.
These are some of the more common reasons why people develop belly fat and it is something that can be controlled if you put some effort into it. Our recommendation for losing belly fat and becoming healthier in the process is lose belly fat
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