There are many familiar names for Beer Belly. Some call it potbelly, spare tire or beer gut. However you call it, accumulated fats on the waistline is a serious health risk. We can think of it as a time bomb belt worn around the waist that is waiting to explode. Fats tend to bulge in areas like the hips and thighs for women and the belly for men. It has something to do with genetics, age and in this case, lifestyle. Men plod wearily on the treadmill in the hopes of eliminating one of his physical “unsightly” attributes, which is the beer belly.
Why do we call it beer belly? This moniker is famous because beer, like any alcoholic drink, increases the chances of belly fat since the liver loves to burn alcohol first before it burns fats. Therefore, fat is spared from metabolism and stored “somewhere” in the body.
A typical bottle of beer has around 150 calories and when you are on it, drinking one would be quite impossible! Let us not forget the pizzas, barbeques, chips and a lot more that go well with beer. What’s more, alcohol increases your appetite so you tend to load up more food. Taking in extra calories than what you can burn will increase the fat deposits in the body.
Why Do Men Deposit More Fat in the Belly?
The answer to that question would re-direct us once again to FATS. Women have more subcutaneous fat deposits in arms, buttocks, thighs, and hips. While men do have less subcutaneous fats, they store more fats on their bellies!
Health Risks
Studies show that big guys with fat bellies are more at risk than guys who are heavy with no fat bellies. These are the guys who have more “visceral” fat in them. Think about this fat squeezing your liver, pancreas and all other organs inside the body. This type of condition also makes the person insensitive to the feeling of fullness when eating.
The moment of truth comes in when waist circumference is measured. Even though we dread being measured in the waist, this is probably the quickest and easiest determinant for growing beer bellies. For men, 40 inches in the tape measure is a magic number for heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and mortality. The danger is real but there are ways to reduce the risk. Problem is, there is no quick way.
Ways to Reduce Beer Bellies
Eliminating beer from your life might be too much. Remember that calories from other food and drink sources also contribute to that growing belly fat. Here are some ways to slowly lose your beer belly:
- Choose light beers with lesser calories and limit the number of drinks per day
- Go for healthy food before or during alcohol drinking to avoid high-calorie bar foods
- When you are drinking alcohol, try to have a break and have a glass of water for every beer that you drink. This will help control alcoholic consumption and will keep you hydrated.
- Increase your protein intake to at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight. This protein intake will help reduce hunger and improve muscle building.
- Also, try to decrease carbohydrate intake to 1 gram per pound of body weight.
- Exercise is vital. Losing belly fat is impossible with diet alone. Good news is that visceral fat can be broken down quicker. If you have a lot of fats to lose, doing any form of exercise will usually reduce visceral fats faster.
- Finally, try to ditch the beer for a longer duration than usual. If you are drinking every day, try to do it every other day until you find yourself drinking less frequently. It should do wonders in your quest for beer belly reduction.
The midsection fat is actually the most stubborn fat. But once you set yourself in eating the right food and do some physical routines, losing the beer belly is possible. For all you know, that beer belly might cause you your life. It is never too late to work on it.
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References:
Men's Fitness. (2016). Here's Why Your Belly Fat Could Be Killing You. [online] Available at: http://www.mensfitness.com/weight-loss/burn-fat-fast/heres-why-your-belly-fat-could-be-killing-you [Accessed 13 May 2016].
Ng, J. (2015). Does Beer Cause Belly Fat?. [online] LIVESTRONG.COM. Available at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/374307-does-beer-cause-belly-fat/ [Accessed 13 May 2016].
WebMD. (2016). The Truth About Beer and Your Belly. [online] Available at: http://www.webmd.com/diet/the-truth-about-beer-and-your-belly?page=3 [Accessed 13 May 2016].
Grinnell, J. (2016). 6 Ways to Lose Your Beer Belly. [online] Muscle & Fitness. Available at: http://www.muscleandfitness.com/nutrition/lose-fat/6-ways-lose-your-beer-belly [Accessed 13 May 2016].