Why is my stomach so big?

If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're likely to carry excess weight — including belly fat. Also, your muscle mass might diminish slightly with age, while fat increases.

mayoclinic.org - Belly fat in women: Taking — and keeping — it off - Mayo Clinic

Why do you lose belly fat on keto?

Going keto lowers your carb intake and reduces insulin levels. On high-carb diets, you're constantly spiking insulin, which inhibits fat-burning...

Last updated Mar 5, 2019

What alcoholic beverage can you drink on a keto diet?

Keto-Friendly Drinks For instance, pure forms of alcohol like whiskey, gin, tequila, rum and vodka are all completely free of carbs. These...

Last updated Nov 8, 2019

Promotion

An expanding waistline is sometimes considered the price of getting older. For women, this can be especially true after menopause, when body fat tends to shift to the abdomen. Yet an increase in belly fat does more than make it hard to zip up your jeans. Research shows that belly fat also carries serious health risks. The good news? The threats posed by belly fat can be reduced.

What's behind belly fat

Your weight is largely determined by three main factors:

How many calories you consume during the day

How many calories you burn off through daily exercise

Your age

If you eat too much and exercise too little, you're likely to carry excess weight — including belly fat. Also, your muscle mass might diminish slightly with age, while fat increases. Loss of muscle mass also decreases the rate at which your body uses calories, which can make it more challenging to maintain a healthy weight. Many women also notice an increase in belly fat as they get older — even if they aren't gaining weight. This is likely due to a decreasing level of estrogen, which appears to influence where fat is distributed in the body. The tendency to gain or carry weight around the waist — and have an "apple" rather than a "pear" shape — might have a genetic component as well.

Why belly fat is more than skin deep

Open pop-up dialog box Close Belly fat Belly fat Subcutaneous fat is the belly fat you can feel if you pinch excess skin and tissue around your middle. Visceral fat is belly fat that accumulates in your abdomen in the spaces between your organs. Too much visceral fat is strongly linked with a greater risk of serious health problems. The trouble with belly fat is that it's not limited to the extra layer of padding located just below the skin (subcutaneous fat). It also includes visceral fat — which lies deep inside your abdomen, surrounding your internal organs. Although subcutaneous fat poses cosmetic concerns, visceral fat is linked with far more dangerous health problems, including:

Heart disease

Type 2 diabetes

High blood pressure

Abnormal cholesterol

Breathing problems

Research also associates belly fat with an increased risk of premature death — regardless of overall weight. In fact, some studies have found that even when women were considered a normal weight based on standard body mass index (BMI) measurements, a large waistline increased the risk of dying of cardiovascular disease.

Measuring your middle

What is the best workout for keto?

Jogging, biking, rowing, and doing yoga are just a few examples of physical activities that may be especially beneficial on keto. While you can...

Last updated Sep 23, 2020

Is keto actually worth it?

Mayo's verdict: While the ketogenic diet may be recommended for some people with uncontrolled epilepsy, the high fat content — and especially the...

Last updated Jun 21, 2022

Promotion

So how do you know if you have too much belly fat? Measure your waist: Stand and place a tape measure around your bare stomach, just above your hipbone. Pull the tape measure until it fits snugly around you, but doesn't push into your skin. Make sure the tape measure is level all the way around. Relax, exhale and measure your waist, resisting the urge to suck in your stomach. For women, a waist measurement of more than 35 inches (89 centimeters) indicates an unhealthy concentration of belly fat and a greater risk of health problems.

Trimming the fat

You can tone abdominal muscles with crunches or other targeted abdominal exercises, but just doing these exercises won't get rid of belly fat. However, visceral fat responds to the same diet and exercise strategies that help you shed excess pounds and lower your total body fat. To battle belly fat: Eat a healthy diet. Focus on plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and choose lean sources of protein and low-fat dairy products. Limit added sugar and saturated fat, which is found in meat and high-fat dairy products, such as cheese and butter. Choose moderate amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — found in fish, nuts and certain vegetable oils — instead. Focus on plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and choose lean sources of protein and low-fat dairy products. Limit added sugar and saturated fat, which is found in meat and high-fat dairy products, such as cheese and butter. Choose moderate amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — found in fish, nuts and certain vegetable oils — instead. Replace sugary beverages. Drink water or beverages with artificial sweetener instead. Drink water or beverages with artificial sweetener instead. Keep portion sizes in check. Even when you're making healthy choices, calories add up. At home, slim down your portion sizes. In restaurants, share meals — or eat half your meal and take the rest home. Even when you're making healthy choices, calories add up. At home, slim down your portion sizes. In restaurants, share meals — or eat half your meal and take the rest home. Include physical activity in your daily routine. For most healthy adults, the Department of Health and Human Services recommends moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, for at least 150 minutes a week or vigorous aerobic activity, such as running, for at least 75 minutes a week. If you use a step counter, remember that it takes an average of 10,000 steps a day to prevent weight gain. Some studies indicate it might take 15,000 steps a day to prevent the regain of weight after significant weight loss. Strength training exercises also are recommended at least twice a week. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you might need to exercise more. To lose excess fat and keep it from coming back, aim for slow and steady weight loss. Consult your doctor for help getting started and staying on track.

What melts visceral fat?

The best way to reduce visceral fat is through losing weight and diet. Visceral fat responds better to diet and exercise than fat on the hips....

Last updated Apr 23, 2018

What should I drink while fasting?

Technically speaking, eating or drinking any calories breaks a fast. That means it's generally considered OK to drink black, unsweetened coffee or...

Last updated Jan 8, 2022

Promotion

There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Review/update the information highlighted below and resubmit the form. From Mayo Clinic to your inbox Sign up for free, and stay up to date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID-19, plus expertise on managing health. Email ErrorEmail field is required ErrorInclude a valid email address Learn more about Mayo Clinic’s use of data. To provide you with the most relevant and helpful information, and understand which information is beneficial, we may combine your email and website usage information with other information we have about you. If you are a Mayo Clinic patient, this could include protected health information. If we combine this information with your protected health information, we will treat all of that information as protected health information and will only use or disclose that information as set forth in our notice of privacy practices. You may opt-out of email communications at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link in the e-mail. Subscribe! Thank you for subscribing! You'll soon start receiving the latest Mayo Clinic health information you requested in your inbox. Sorry something went wrong with your subscription Please, try again in a couple of minutes Retry

mayoclinic.org - Belly fat in women: Taking — and keeping — it off - Mayo Clinic

Why do people put cheese on chili?

Cheese is a delicious addition to a chili dish. It is not only going to enhance the taste of the chili by making it tangier, but it is also going...

Last updated Sep 15, 2020

Is it OK to have a high calorie cheat day?

In order to gain a pound of fat, you would need to add about 500 calories a day on top of your normal diet, every day, for about 7 days. This makes...

Last updated Mar 23, 2022

Promotion

What can you eat endless of on keto?

In fact, many keto dieters are able to stay in ketosis by using one simple strategy: Eating mostly keto-friendly foods that have little to no net...

Last updated Oct 20, 2022

Promotion

Will a banana stop ketosis?

With 27 grams of carbohydrates, 14 grams of sugar, and only three grams of fiber, bananas are likely to spike your blood sugar levels and kick you...

Last updated Dec 26, 2020