Contents:
- Medical Video: 6 Types of Body Fat and How to Get Rid of It
- Why is belly fat more dangerous than other fats?
- What causes the body to accumulate fat in the stomach?
- 1. Excess weight
- 2. Aging (menopause)
- 3. Genetics
- 4. Lack of movement
- 5. Stress
- 6. Lack of sleep
- 7. Bad eating habits
Medical Video: 6 Types of Body Fat and How to Get Rid of It
Look at your stomach, is there fat deposits there? Everyone can have belly fat, including thin people. Not surprisingly, many people are competing to get rid of belly fat and get a lean stomach, including thin people. Everything is done, like sports, to get it. However, do you know what causes fat accumulation in the stomach?
Why is belly fat more dangerous than other fats?
Belly fat or also called visceral fat is fat that accumulates in the space between your organs, such as the stomach, liver and intestines. This fat serves to protect important organs in your stomach. However, too much accumulation of visceral fat is also not good for health.
Why? Visceral fat produces toxins that can affect the body's workings, such as cytokine compounds. Excessive release of cytokines can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers (such as cancer of the colon, esophagus, and pancreas).
What causes the body to accumulate fat in the stomach?
Fat people and thin people can have excess visceral fat in their stomach. This is certainly not good for health. Some things can be the reason why you have excessive abdominal or visceral fat.
1. Excess weight
The greater your weight, of course, the more accumulation of fat in your stomach. Being overweight is caused by more calories entering the body than the calories that come out. Eating too much and too little physical activity can cause excess weight.
2. Aging (menopause)
The older you are, the less your muscle mass and the more fat in your body, including belly fat. Reduced muscle mass makes your body burn fewer calories, making it more difficult for you to maintain a normal weight. This is why older people usually get fat easier.
In addition, a decrease in the hormone estrogen at the age of menopause can also affect the distribution of fat in the body. The level of estrogen that drops dramatically at menopause can cause fat to be stored in the stomach, not at the hip or thigh. Some women may have more belly fat at this time. This can be caused by genetics and the age of your menopause.
3. Genetics
How the body stores fat can be influenced by genetics. Genes that regulate cortisol and leptin, which regulate calorie intake and weight, can be responsible for storing fat in the body.
4. Lack of movement
The incoming calories must be the same as the calories that come out if you want to have a normal weight. If there are more calories than those that come out, of course your weight will rise. This can happen when you are less active. Research shows that women who watch TV more than three hours per day have a greater risk of obesity in the abdomen (almost twice) than women who watch TV less than one hour per day.
5. Stress
When stressed, the body releases stress hormones (such as the hormone cortisol) to help the body deal with stress. However, the cortisol hormone can actually cause weight gain when produced excessively in the body. When you overeat to deal with stress, more calories are stored in the area around the stomach. This can not be separated from the role of cortisol.
6. Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep can make you more at risk for excess weight gain, so you are more likely to have a lot of belly fat. In addition to lack of sleep, sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea, can also cause weight gain. This might be because when you lack sleep, you are more likely to eat unhealthy foods.
7. Bad eating habits
Many foods that are high in sugar and fat (especially trans fats) can cause excessive accumulation of abdominal fat. Low daily protein and fiber intake can also cause fat buildup and weight gain. This is because adequate intake of protein and fiber can help you control your appetite and facilitate digestion.
