Download Truth about Belly Fat

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Truth about Belly Fat
Saturday, 05 April 2008
Having a flat belly or so-called "six-pack abs" is a dream of most
adults. If you're middle-aged, have ever been pregnant, or sometimes indulge in too much food or one
too many beers, you probably have a spare tire you'd like to get rid of. So
what's the best strategy for banishing belly fat? Is it as simple as adding
certain foods to your diet,
or doing particular exercises?
The Answer to Flatter Abs
Don't despair; you can lose that spare tire, experts say. But there's
no secret formula.
"There is no magic bullet, diet
plan, specific food, or type of exercise
that specifically targets belly fat. But the good news is belly fat is the
first kind of fat you tend to lose when you lose weight," says Michael
Jensen, MD, a Mayo Clinic endocrinology specialist and obesity researcher.
Whether you're an "apple" shape with excess belly fat, or a
"pear" with wide hips and thighs, when you lose weight, you'll most likely lose proportionately more
from the abdominal region than elsewhere.
"Ninety-nine percent of people who lose weight will lose it in the
abdominal region before anywhere else -- and will lose proportionately more
weight from the upper body," says Jensen, also a professor of medicine.
And why is that? "Visceral fat, the kind tucked deep inside your
waistline, is more metabolically active and easier to lose than subcutaneous
fat under the skin,
especially if you have plenty of it," explains Penn State researcher Penny
Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD. And the more weight you have to lose, the more quickly you're likely to
start losing your belly fat, experts say.
"People who are significantly overweight may see quicker results in
their belly than someone who has less to lose in that area, such as a
postmenopausal pouch," says Georgia State University nutrition professor,
Christine Rosenbloom, PhD, RD.
Can Whole Grains Help You Lose Belly Fat?
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A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed
that a calorie-controlled
diet rich in whole grains trimmed extra fat from the waistline of obese
subjects.
Study participants who ate all whole grains (in addition to five servings of
fruits
and vegetables, three servings of low-fat dairy, and two servings of lean
meat, fish, or poultry) lost more weight from the abdominal area than another
group that ate the same diet, but with all refined grains.
"Eating a diet rich in whole grains while reducing refined carbohydrates
changes the glucose and insulin response and makes it easier to mobilize fat
stores," says study researcher Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD, a
distinguished professor of nutritional sciences at Penn State University.
"Visceral fat is more metabolically active and easier to lose than
subcutaneous fat, especially if you have plenty of it and the right conditions
are met, such as the ones in our study."
When you eat refined foods like white bread, it triggers a series of events,
starting with elevated blood sugar levels followed by an increased insulin
response, which can cause fat to be deposited more readily. But eating a diet
rich in whole grains (which also tend to be higher in fiber) helps improve
insulin sensitivity. This, in turn helps the body more efficiently use blood
glucose, lowers blood glucose levels, and reduces fat deposition.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommends that
half of your grain servings come from whole grains.
"Eating whole grains exclusively may be difficult and unrealistic for
many people," says Rosenbloom. Instead, she recommends, "work toward
consuming more whole grains, as they tend to be high in fiber, which satisfies
hunger for longer periods and helps you eat less than
refined grains."
Can Monounsaturated Fats Banish Belly Fat?
A recent diet book called The Flat Belly Diet posits the idea that
you can lose belly fat by eating a 1,600-calorie diet rich in monounsaturated
fats.
Most people will lose weight on a 1,600-calorie diet. And there is little
question that when it comes to choosing fats, the monounsaturated fatty acids
(MUFAS) found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, soybeans, chocolate, olive and
canola oils are among the best choices, with proven health benefits, such as
reducing the risk of heart
disease.
But these are not magic foods capable of targeting belly fat, experts note.
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While the MUFAS are healthy fats, they are still fats, with nine calories per
gram -- more than twice that of carbohydrates and proteins, which have four calories per gram.
"Fats have to be controlled, because it is easy to overeat nuts or
guacamole -- which can undo the health benefits by packing on the pounds,"
cautions Rosenbloom.
Can Exercise Flatten Your Abs?
Hundreds of crunches each day won't flatten your belly if you need to lose
weight. If your abdominal muscles aren't covered with excess fat, strengthening
them can help you look tighter and thinner. But spot exercises won't
banish belly fat.
"If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you must eat a healthy,
controlled-calorie diet and get regular exercise -- around 60 minutes a day of
moderate activity, like brisk walking," says Rosenbloom.
And the harder you exercise, the more belly fat you may lose. Jensen
suggests that people who engage in high-intensity aerobic
exercise tend to be leaner around the abdomen.
Why is it important to lose belly fat? Carrying around extra pounds in your
midsection is serious business. Extra weight in your midsection is more
dangerous than fat around your hips and thighs, as visceral fat is worse for
your health than the subcutaneous fat that sits under the skin.
"Extra weight around the midsection is associated with inflammation and
a higher risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and more," Jensen says.
According to a
recent study in Circulation, belly fat appears to boost inflammation
and is linked to hardening of the arteries.
Is Your Middle Too Big?
Beyond the body
mass index (BMI), waist circumference has been touted as a simple and
reliable test to measure health, weight status, and hidden fat, says
Rosenbloom.
To assess your risk, use a soft tape measure. Lie down and wrap it around
your natural waistline, located above your hip bone and below your belly
button. Take the measurement without holding your breath or holding your
stomach in. If your waist is larger than 40 inches (for men) or 35 inches (for women),
you have too much belly fat and are at risk for heart disease and other
conditions. And one of the best things you can do for your health is to lose
weight, says Rosenbloom.
The Bottom Line About Belly Fat
So what's the bottom line about belly fat?
Most scientific evidence suggests that a calorie-controlled diet rich in
fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, beans, nuts, seeds, lean meat,
fish, eggs, and poultry is the foundation for a diet that provides all the
nutrients you need while helping to whittle your waistline.
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The real secret to losing belly fat is to lose weight on a balanced,
calorie-controlled diet and exercise at least an hour a day.
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