5 reasons why you have belly fat

 Many researchers claim that waist size is a more significant risk factor for developing serious diseases than the total percentage of body fat. The main culprit for this is the so-called visceral fat, which is found deep inside the abdominal cavity (as opposed to subcutaneous fat, which is located just under the skin). Visceral fat damages organs and blood vessels, leading to an increased risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain types of cancer, and even dementia. But besides consuming large amounts of unprotected carbohydrates and sugar, there are several other reasons why fat is not absorbed throughout the body, but accumulates in the stomach.

1. Parental apple shape

Often, it is genetics that determines where in your body fat accumulates. If you look at your family tree from this point of view, you can quickly determine which figure your ancestors tended to - apples or pears. And if your genes gave you an apple shape gift, then unfortunately you will have to be more active, live a dynamic lifestyle and make sure not to consume a lot of calories if you do not want to get bulging tummies soon and fat sides.

2. Hormonal changes

When menopause begins, often even women with a pear-shaped figure, in whom fat accumulates, if at all, then mainly on the hips, begin to notice that their stomach begins to grow. Age is to blame for everything, and nothing can be done about it: a decrease in the amount of estrogen in the body, combined with a slowing metabolism, leads to the fact that fat begins to accumulate already on the stomach. Playing sports or simply exercising regularly can correct this problem.

3. You have PCOS

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects approximately 10 to 20% of women during their reproductive years. These women have elevated testosterone levels and also often gain weight due to fat that accumulates mainly around the waist. And since men tend to be more apple-shaped than pear-shaped, this change in the male hormone testosterone can lead to a male-like figure.

4. Too much or too little sleep

You regularly sleep for 5 hours a night or even less, and as a result, this leads to an increase in belly fat. Why? We still have the physiology of cavemen, and if we are sleep deprived, our metabolism will slow down to conserve energy. Looking for light energy in the form of French fries or donuts is a holdover from a time when our ancestors literally didn't know when they would be able to eat in the future. That's why their bodies stored those quick calories as fat, especially around the waist.

Researchers don't know exactly why those who sleep a lot also get more belly fat, but it's possible that more time in bed means less time to be active during the day. Everyone's sleep needs are different, but on average they range from 7 to 9 hours a night.

5. Stress and depression

Experts have long known that exhausted people are more likely to accumulate fat, especially on the belly; now they know why this is so. When you're under pressure, your body releases large amounts of cortisol, a hormone that wreaks havoc in two ways. First, it forces you to seek out fatty, sugary, high-calorie foods that provide instant comfort. Cortisol also changes your body chemistry, causing your body to burn fewer of these calories and store them as fat.

This action of cortisol in the body is another relic of the old days, when the feeling of panic was a signal that a possible death was approaching, which means that you need to have time to do (read, eat) as much as possible before death, if in the future such an opportunity will not appear again.

Source: prevention.com