Bubble tea belly, beer belly, barrel waist… Why is it that even though the rest of your body is not fat, there is more and more fat on your stomach?
“The increasingly expanding abdomen not only brings ordinary fat accumulation but may also pose many health risks,” a Green Slim Weight Management Planner reminds.
In February 2023, Singaporean researchers published a study titled “Obesity Affects Cognitive Function in Asian Populations” in a Lancet sub-journal, showing that “the bigger the belly, the more damage to the brain.”
How to determine if you have a big belly?
The study analyzed 8,769 Asian individuals with an average age of 51.4 years. Further analysis revealed that visceral fat, BMI, and waist circumference can reflect the distribution of abdominal muscles and fat in the body and serve as another measure of obesity besides BMI.
Men with a waist circumference of ≥90cm and women with a waist circumference of ≥85cm are considered to have abdominal obesity (also known as central obesity or central fat distribution).
Therefore, if you are also troubled by a “beer belly” or “love handles,” do not delay in starting a belly-reduction plan! In addition to increasing daily exercise, pay special attention to your diet, especially by consuming less of the “fat belly” foods.
The 4 main dietary “culprits” for a fat belly
A nutrition consultant from Green Slim advises to reduce visceral fat by consuming less of these 4 types of foods:
1. Added Sugar: A study on “added sugar” involving 3,070 generally healthy people aged 18-30 showed that over a 25-year follow-up, individuals who consumed more than 50g of added sugar per day had significantly higher visceral fat volume than those consuming less than 50g of added sugar per day. [1]
2. Refined Grains: Main foods made from refined grains, such as white steamed buns and white rice, cause rapid increases in blood sugar levels, with studies indicating that foods causing rapid blood sugar spikes are more likely to lead to the accumulation of visceral fat.
3. Saturated Fats: Saturated fatty acids are relatively unfavorable for reducing subcutaneous fat in the abdomen. Though not visceral fat, having excess subcutaneous fat in the abdomen can lead to a bigger belly.
4. Alcohol: Drinking alcohol is likely to increase visceral fat, with more alcohol consumption leading to more visceral fat.
Lastly, vegetables are rich in soluble dietary fiber, manganese, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, folic acid, and pantothenic acid. These abundant nutrients have a negative correlation with visceral fat. Therefore, to reduce visceral fat, in addition to controlling added sugar, refined grains, and alcohol consumption, it’s important to eat more vegetables.
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