For several centuries up until quite recently, having a large or pot belly was a sign of good living and wealth.

For women, it was expected that as she got married, an increased waistline and chubby cheeks was a good indication that her husband was taking good care of her and vice versa.

Luckily, the times have changed, and modern science is starting to reveal facts that show that a large tummy increases your chances of developing chronic diseases and even premature death by up to 80%.

Body fat is good for you in small quantities as it is necessary to protect your organs and helps to store energy for future use.

Body fat especially abdominal fat, can become problematic when it is excessive. Excessive abdominal fat produces inflammatory chemicals that interfere with the body’s normal functions and causes profound negative effects on other parts of the body.

Excessive abdominal fat also increases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as; heart problem, colon cancer, breast cancer, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes.

Ideally, your waist measurement should be less than half of your height. For example, 6 feet (72 inches) tall man should strive to keep his waist below 36 inches, while a woman of 5 foot 4 inches (64 inches) should keep her waist under 32 inches. Excessive abdominal fat can occur in any type of individual regardless of race, age, body type and gender.

However, there are certain risk factors that cause certain people to develop excessive abdominal fat faster or more easily than some others.

The main cause of excessive abdominal fat is from eating the wrong foods. It is common knowledge that weight loss is 80% diet and 20% exercise.

Eating a diet high in carbohydrates, refined sugar, fried foods and animal proteins causes excess fat to be stored especially around the waistline.

Other causes of an increased waistline include; lack of sleep, stress, drinking alcohol, lack of physical activity, smoking, stress, menopause and hormonal imbalance.

A final, almost unavoidable cause of excess abdominal fat is getting old. As we get into our 30s, 40s, and 50s, our hormones that help control abdominal fat start reducing leading to a larger waistline, with all things equal.

So, getting older is a sign that one must increase physical activity, improve on the diet and get healthy in general. This is especially true for women who have had children, as childbearing can also lower your metabolism in addition to getting older.

Having a larger waistline is not a permanent situation, rather it is something that can be dealt with if the right steps are taken.

First, make sure to drink a lot of water and try cutting out juice, alcohol and other drinks.

Heat up a cup of hot water and squeeze the juice of a lemon into it and drink it first thing in the morning.

Take herbs and spices such as fenugreek, turmeric, cayenne pepper (as a dry supplement, not into stew), coriander leaf juice, black pepper and bitter herbs.

Eat a lot of raw leafy vegetables which help cleanse your digestive system.

Whatever efforts you take in order to achieve a skinnier waistline will take you a step closer to living a long healthy life and reduce your risk of poor health and premature death.

Have a healthy and happy week!