7h00 a.m:You experience the annoyance of the unwanted wake-up call from your alarm clock. Unceremoniously,you slap the snooze button,again and again.
9h00 a.m:You get stuck in a traffic jam ;stressed out and starving .Not enough time for breakfast.Cigaretts rock your empty stomach.
2h00 p.m:Another business lunch-A gastronomic indulgence on food and wine …Death by chocolate … You get the deal!
5h00 p.m:A quick nap on the desk .The obnoxious voice of your secretary wakes you up. Oups! It’s already 7h00 p.m-HAPPY HOURS … the guys are already at the pub…And, you still stand for the 10 reasons why beer is better than your woman…
Welcome to a Man’s World !
At the end of the day,all you get is a Beer-Belly;a prideful symbol of your greatest passion.You proudly display your rounded protuberances as a testimony to your excessive consumption of your chosen ambrosia.Yet,have you ever wondered if your beer-belly was only caused by the excessive intake of this foamy goodness ?
Most probably,you did ,while bumping into someone,with a huge beer belly and who doesn’t drink beer or someone else who drinks beer and remains slim.Thus,you could assume that beer isn’t the only evil brew that causes visceral fat.
In fact,any other fatty and unhealthy food may cause a beer-belly to appear. Men tend to carry extra body fat on the stomach developing the “apple” profile of central obesity,while women gain weight mostly around the hips and thighs developing more of a “pear”profile.
When present with both,fat and alcohol,the body stores the comparatively harmless fat, and rids itself of the toxic alcohol,by burning it off as fuel, resulting in a fat storage in the central abdominal area.In addition,it is important to note that ,a gram of fat and a gram of alcohol yield 9 and 7 calories respectively.
While your waistline gradually gets bigger,the risk for a number of serious health problems inceases,including : diabetes,stroke,hypertension and coronary artery disease.Actually,fat in the abdomen brings extra risk to the heart since its release in the bloodstream ,contributes to the blood’s daily burden of cholesterol carrying lipoproteins,LDL,thereby increasing heart disease risk.However,Fat layers ,lye just beneath the skin of the abdomen,thighs,hips,and legs also release fat,but sluggishly and so,theoretically ,may contribute less to blood lipids.
Waist circumference provides a measure of visceral (abdominal) fat, independent of body weight or body mass index (BMI). By locating your hip bone and snugly (but without compressing the skin) placing a tape measure around your bare abdomen,you get your waist circumference.
If your waist circumference is of at least 40 inches (102 cm) then congrats, you are another victim of the of the threatening diseases caused by excessive visceral fat.
The key of getting rid of stomach fat,doesn’t lie in the magical pill that you get from the drugstore or the fad diet that leads to gain weight once stopped.However,it is resumed by eating a healthy diet and exercising .
Remember,moderation is the key;eating in a balanced way doesn’t only make you feel good but it also amends the quality and quantity of your life.If you combine the efforts of eating a bit less and exercising more,you can reach your goal of getting rid of stomach fat.Be patient, though, since you tend to lose body fat last in the areas of your body where you store it first!
by Dietitian Nicole Maftoum
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