Fighting Belly Fat

  One of the club's members, a huskily-built mid-50's male, tried one of the supplements advertised constantly on the radio to reduce belly fat. Zero results. Not surprising, but luckily, he just did the free sample. He'll probably just have to change his phone number to avoid the salespeople "following-up."
  Belly Fat is a tricky issue. We can't control where our body holds fat, just like we can't magically put on muscle just in the places we want.
   Generally, women hold more fat in their lower stomach, hips, and glutes. Some of that is nature's way of protecting the fetus. This is known as subcutaneous fat.
   Men, mostly, have more of their weight above the navel, surrounding the organs. This is known as visceral fat, and is the more dangerous of the two. Strokes and heart attacks both have a relation to visceral fat.
    Despite the claims you'll hear on the radio and see on television, there is no single supplement, home exercise machine, or diet that, in and of itself, will eliminate belly fat.
      Scott Kahan of the National Center for Weight and Wellness said it best (in a recent Washington Post article by Gabriella Boston entitled "To fight belly fat, think activity and sleep ). "There are an infinite set of BS claims out there spread by the fitness, diet, and supplement industry," Kahan said. "We all want that magic bullet, but it just doesn't exist."
      Kahan advocates "Exercise, nutrition, sleep and reducing stress," as the key factors in reducing belly fat and improving general health. He doesn't prioritize them, but advocates making small changes in each to turn the pendulum around. Kahan's recommendations are similar to those posted in previous articles: about 150 minutes of cardio a week, and some weekly resistance training.
  Rebecca Mohning, a registered dietitian quoted in the article considered sleep and stress reduction (I know, easier said than done!) to be the key. The reason is: genetically, we can't control where we deposit fat, but we can manipulate our levels of cortisol, the "stress hormone," which has been known to specifically increase belly fat.
     Cortisol also raises the mind's desire for sugar and other unhealthy options as we deal with our body's "fight or flight" bout of anxiety.
     In this technological, 24-hour world, Mohning smartly suggests turning off the television and phone before going to sleep, as well as keeping the room cool, dark, and quiet. Also, no caffeine after dinner, or alcohol before bedtime.
      I have read previously that more sleep helps in weight control, and stress management is tied in directly to better sleep. If the news angers or worries you, don't watch it in the evening. Try to leave the job's headaches at the job. Going in the next day on a bad night's sleep will only increase your sense of agitation, and release the cortisol that leads to belly fat. It's a downward spiral of bad health habits.