Vanguard Allure

Top Menu

  • Vanguard

Main Menu

  • Home
  • Allure Magazine
    • Features
    • Magazine
    • Profiles
  • Allure TV
  • Celebration
    • Fashion & Style
    • Weddings
    • Lifestyle
    • Events
  • Wellbeing
    • Allure Woman
    • Healthy Living
    • Beauty
  • Happiness
    • Food
    • Shopping
    • Travel
    • Relationships
    • Career
  • News
  • Vanguard

logo

Vanguard Allure

  • Home
  • Allure Magazine
    • Africa Fashion Week London 2023: Meet the Designers

      September 20, 2023
      0
    • CONFIDENCE STAVELEY: The chic cybersecurity boss 

      September 18, 2023
      0
    • Advocates of Modest Fashion

      September 10, 2023
      0
    • Just Mathematics rewards pupils for excellent performance

      September 6, 2023
      0
    • Enioluwa Adeoluwa: Creativity personified

      September 4, 2023
      0
    • Blessing Kenneth: Revolutionising the Hair Industry

      August 27, 2023
      0
    • I'd like to see mutual support among women in entertainment industry -Omambala

      August 23, 2023
      0
    • Erica Moore: Passion for Excellence

      August 20, 2023
      0
    • Omowumi Titilola Oyedotun: Pioneering Dual Citizenship through Birth Tourism

      August 15, 2023
      0
    • Features
    • Magazine
    • Profiles
  • Allure TV
  • Celebration
    • Fashion & Style
    • Weddings
    • Lifestyle
    • Events
  • Wellbeing
    • Allure Woman
    • Healthy Living
    • Beauty
  • Happiness
    • Food
    • Shopping
    • Travel
    • Relationships
    • Career
  • News
    • Ethiopian Airlines Partners Africa Celebrates Official Carrier

      September 20, 2023
      0
    • UYOTA lauds President Tinubu For Bitrus Garki's appointment

      September 14, 2023
      0
    • You've made me a widow at 24' - Mohbad's wife, Wunmi mourns 

      September 14, 2023
      0
    • Worital To Announce Winners of the 2023 Chinaza Favour Writing Contest:

      September 8, 2023
      0
    • BBNaija All Stars: Omashola emerges head of house for week 7

      September 4, 2023
      0
    • Web3 Lagos Conference 2.0 Unveils Exciting Lineup and Innovations at Press Conference

      September 1, 2023
      0
    • UNIDO ITPO Nigeria boosts women's entrepreneurship through gender-lens investing

      September 1, 2023
      0
    • Ooni of Ife, Etsu Nupe, others to be honoured in Thailand

      August 27, 2023
      0
    • Peter Obi celebrates Nigerian students for distinguishing themselves on global stage

      August 16, 2023
      0
  • Glitz as Seinde Signature Introduces Pana Dora Sweden

  • Commonwealth Business Women Africa congratulates First Lady on 63rd birthday

  • AFRICA FASHION WEEK LONDON 2023 TO HOLD AT THE IoD, 116 PALL MALL

  • AFWL TO HOST 1st UKAFRICA TRADE EXPO: BEYOND FASHION

  • Ethiopian Airlines Partners Africa Celebrates Official Carrier

Allure MagazineFeatures
Home›Allure Magazine›THE REAL SECRET TO LOSING BELLY FAT

THE REAL SECRET TO LOSING BELLY FAT

May 1,2016
Share:

Belly fat pics

Leading with a paunch has become au courant. Like bay windows on architectural masterpieces, the pot belly has become a “design” in vogue. In this era of padded underwear and enhancing body garments, one cannot help but wonder if there is a new addition to the line – the gut pads. I recently attended a function and out of sheer curiosity, I began counting the number of people with protruding midsections. The outcome was illuminating! Every 3 out of 5 individuals, male and female inclusive were endowed in that department. 

A pot belly (Abdominal obesity) is the presence of excess fat in the abdominal cavity. The visceral fat located around the internal organs is the culprit in this case. Having the extra padding set up shop in your midsection does more than ruin your chances of winning a swim suit competition. It has been associated with high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, erectile dysfunction, and cancer all of which significantly affect quality of life and life expectancy.

WHAT FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO DEVELOPING A POT BELLY?

Age: Men and women experience a reduced rate of metabolism as they grow older because of a decline in sex hormones. As the rate of metabolism decreases, the tendency for fat storage increases.

Gender: Women and men metabolize and store fat differently because of their hormonal differences. While women tend to store fat in their hips, thighs and buttocks (subcutaneous fat), men store fat in their abdomen (visceral fat).

Net Energy Imbalance: Consuming more usable calories than is expended while leading a sedentary lifestyle devoid of exercise flings the doors wide open for some belly fat lurking in the shadows.

Genetics: The pear shaped individuals tend to store more fat below the waist in their hips, thighs and buttocks while the apple shaped persons store more fat above the waist around their midsection. The chances of having a pot belly are higher in the “Apples”.

Hormonal Imbalance and Stress: Excess cortisol; a hormone secreted under stress and hormonal imbalance activates fat-storage enzymes in cells can lead to the dreaded spare tyre.

Poor Sleeping Habit: Lack of sleep causes the body to release more of the hormone that signals hunger (ghrelin) and less of the hormone that suppresses appetite (leptin). Sleep deprivation triggers high release of cortisol which stimulates appetite.

Nutrition: Eating high-fat diets and LARGE amounts of refined carbohydrates have been found to cause an increase waist circumference.

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

A simple way to assess abdominal obesity is to measure the waist circumference using a tape measure at the navel. A reading greater than 102cm (40 inches) and 88cm (35 inches) in men and women respectively indicate a high risk of abdominal obesity.  A waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is another useful tool of assessment. It is the division of the waist measurement by the hip measurement. A WHR higher than 0.80 in women and 0.90 in men suggests a high risk of being potbellied.

THE WAY FORWARD

The real secret to losing belly fat is lifestyle modification; diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management.

• A balanced, calorie-controlled diet with emphasis on complex and unrefined carbohydrates, protein, unsaturated fats and Omegaa-3 fatty acids is a good start on the journey to getting rid of a pot belly. Drink a lot of water while you are at it.

• Moderate – high intensity exercise (at least 30 minutes to 1 hour a day) daily is one way to lose visceral fat.

• Getting about 7 hours of sleep a night is one of the best things you can do to get your beach body.

• Pace yourself, make time for recreation.

By Dr. Oluchi Ihekuna

TagsCarbohydratesPot BellyUnsaturated fats
Previous Article

Accessories To Brighten Your Work Outfit

Next Article

May Day & Work-Life Balance

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • Healthy LivingWellbeing

    How To Get Rid of Pot Belly

    February 28, 2022
    By RITA
  • Allure MagazineFeatures

    5 Ways Gut Bacteria Affect Your Health

    May 8, 2016
    By allure1
  • Allure MagazineBeautyFashion & StylemusicNews

    Singer, Aramide glows in orange as she releases new music video’ Magic’

    April 5, 2018
    By allure1
  • Allure MagazineFoodHealthy Living

    Add Banana-Coconut smoothie to your menu list!

    September 20, 2016
    By allure1
  • Allure MagazineEventFashion & Style

    AFWL 2016: 10 BEST TRENDS

    September 25, 2016
    By allure1
  • Allure MagazineNews

    Actress, Ade Laoye shows off throwback photo of her parents

    March 14, 2018
    By allure1
0

  • Food

    How to Make Parfait (Video)

  • Allure WomanEntertainment

    Peace Hyde to produce first Netflix African Series featuring Annie Idibia & Swanky Jerry

  • Allure Woman

    Singer Omawumi shares exquisite swimwear photos

  • 5312
    Followers
  • 12744
    Likes

Timeline

  • September 24, 2023

    Glitz as Seinde Signature Introduces Pana Dora Sweden

  • September 22, 2023

    Commonwealth Business Women Africa congratulates First Lady on 63rd birthday

  • September 21, 2023

    AFRICA FASHION WEEK LONDON 2023 TO HOLD AT THE IoD, 116 PALL MALL

  • September 21, 2023

    AFWL TO HOST 1st UKAFRICA TRADE EXPO: BEYOND FASHION

  • September 20, 2023

    Ethiopian Airlines Partners Africa Celebrates Official Carrier

Categories

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates and to hear what's going on with our magazine!

  • Recent

  • Popular

  • Comments

  • Glitz as Seinde Signature Introduces Pana Dora Sweden

    By RITA
    September 24, 2023
  • Commonwealth Business Women Africa congratulates First Lady on 63rd birthday

    By Temitope
    September 22, 2023
  • AFRICA FASHION WEEK LONDON 2023 TO HOLD AT THE IoD, 116 PALL MALL

    By Temitope
    September 21, 2023
  • AFWL TO HOST 1st UKAFRICA TRADE EXPO: BEYOND FASHION

    By Temitope
    September 21, 2023
  • Chioma Jesus, Sammie Okposo, Midnight Crew set for #THUGGLA2018

    By RITA
    April 24, 2018
  • American rapper, Kendrick Lamar wins Pulitzer prize for 2017 ‘Damn’ album

    By RITA
    April 17, 2018
  • Afrobeat singer, Seun Kuti drops new album titled ‘Black Times’ 

    By RITA
    April 23, 2018
  • Actor, Yul Edochie declares intention to run for presidency

    By RITA
    April 23, 2018

Entertainment

  • September 14, 2023

    Ihuoma Sonia Uche: From the Heart of Nollywood to Business Ventures

  • September 11, 2023

    Peggy Ovire speaks on Kiekie splitting bills with husband, says she can’t relate

  • September 11, 2023

    Sharing bills 50/50 with your partner commands respect – Kiekie 

  • September 4, 2023

    I’m not grateful for Headies win – Ayra Starr laments

  • September 1, 2023

    Lagbaja’s ex backup singer Ego, loses husband 

Follow us