12 Causes of Excess Belly Fat in Women

It seems that most people do not want their stomach to store excess fat, both men and women. Not only affects appearance, piles of fat in the stomach also increase the risk of various diseases such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, heart disease, to cancer. Mentally, having a flat stomach can also increase confidence.

Many want to do anything to repel fat deposits in the stomach, but sometimes eliminating them isn't that easy. The following will explain the various causes of distended stomach, especially in women. By knowing the cause, it will be easier for you to prevent it. Keep going, yes! 1. Wrong and unbalanced diet

Illustration of foods high in sugar (pixabay.com/Free-Photos)

One of the main reasons women have excess belly fat is the number of calories that come in is greater than the calories burned or out. These excess calories will be stored as fat. Frequent consumption of foods and drinks high in sugar or high fructose corn syrup can also cause the addition of belly fat.

Reporting medical news today, some sugary foods and drinks such as cakes, sweets, sodas, and fruit juices can also cause a buildup of fat in the stomach because it can slow metabolism and reduce the body's ability to burn fat.

A diet that is low in protein and high in carbohydrates can also increase weight. This is because protein is an important element that can help the body feel full longer. Alcohol

Illustration of women drinking alcohol (pixabay.com/Concord90)

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to a variety of health problems, such as liver disease and inflammation. Launching The Healthy Mummy, excess calories from alcohol consumption will also be stored as fat. Like sugar, alcohol also slows fat burning and metabolism.

A person who consumes as much as three or more glasses of alcohol a day can have more belly fat than people who don't drink alcohol or drink less.

In addition, a person who rarely drinks alcohol, but on a given day directly consumes four or more glasses of alcohol, has a large risk of adding belly fat.

Read Also: Can Eat Fish, These 8 Benefits of Pescatarian Diet for Health3. Trans fats

Illustration of junk food (IDN Times/Mardya Shakti)

Trans fats are the most unhealthy fats. These fats are made by adding hydrogen to unsaturated fats to make them more stable, and are usually found in fast food in order to last longer.

Trans fats can cause a lot of inflammation or inflammation, insulin resistance, and belly fat in the body. Baked goods such as muffins and biscuits can also contain trans fats.

The American Heart Association recommends replacing trans fats with healthy wheat-based foods, monounsaturated fats, and polyunsaturated fats. Reading food labels can help to see if the food contains trans fats or not. Lack of movement or lack of physical activity

illustration of lack of motion due to watching TV (unsplash.com/JESHOOTS.COM)

Sedenter lifestyle that rarely moves aka mager is also one of the causes of excess belly fat in women. This lifestyle of lack of physical activity can also increase the risk of various health problems. Regular exercise or other physical activity can help shrink the stomach.

The comfort that modern technology brings also reduces our need to actively move, thereby increasing the risk of weight gain. Quoting Healthline, there is a study that shows that women who watch MORE than 3 hours of TV every day have twice the risk of obesity in the stomach than people who only watch TV one hour every day. Smoke

Smoking (freepik.com/montypeter)

According to researchers, smoking is not a direct cause of fat accumulation in the stomach. However, they believe that smoking is one of the risk factors.

A study titled "Cigarette Smoking Increases Abdominal and Visceral Obesity but Not Overall Fatness: An Observational Study" from the journal PLOS One in 2012, stated that study subjects who were smokers had more belly fat and visceral fat than nonsmokers, even though they were both obese. Aging and menopause

Illustration of an old woman (pexels.com/Pixabay)

Aging or increasing women can also increase belly fat. Launching The Healthy Mummy, although not experiencing weight gain though, women can experience an increase in belly fat with age, especially around the age of menopause.

During menopause, fat that is usually stored in the hips and thighs so shifted is stored in the stomach due to the level of the hormone estrogen that decreases dramatically.

Some women may experience more abdominal fat buildup due to genetic factors and the age of menopause it begins. Menopause that occurs at a younger age tends to get less belly fat. Intestinal bacterial imbalance due to the abundance of Firmicutes bacteria

Illustration of firmicutes bacteria (microbiomology.org)

In the intestine, especially the large intestine, there are hundreds of types of intestinal bacteria and can play a good role for health. However, some bacteria can also cause problems.

Bacteria in the gut are known as gut flora or microbiomes. Maintaining gut health is important for maintaining the immune system and preventing disease.

An imbalance of gut bacteria can increase belly fat. Reported by Healthline, studies show that obese people tend to have more Firmicutes bacteria than people of normal weight. Firmicutes bacteria can also increase the number of calories absorbed from food.

Also Read: 7 Benefits of Vanilla for Health, Taste and Aroma Are Distinctive! Stress

illustration of emotional eating due to stress (freepik.com/nakaridore)

Cortisol or stress hormone is a steroid hormone that is important to help the body control and cope with stress. However, excessive cortisol production can increase belly fat because it affects the metabolic system.

When experiencing stress, we will usually eat a lot to calm down. The hormone cortisol causes incoming calories not stored as fat throughout the body, but more stored around the stomach so that the longer it can accumulate.

Women with large waists and hips secrete more cortisol when stressed, making them more likely to experience increased appetite. Post-pregnancy

Mother and son (unsplash.com/Jonathan Borba)

After giving birth, the stomach after pregnancy will experience a change in shape, because the uterus becomes down and the abdominal muscles shift. Therefore, it takes some time until the body regains the strength of its muscles.

Quoting The Healthy Mummy, the postpartum stomach will usually look more distended because the layer of subcutaneous fat in the abdomen during the strength of the abdominal muscles has not returned as usual. Genetics

DNA influences genetics (pixabay.com/PublicDomainPictures)

Genetics can also have a role in the condition of distended stomach in women. A study states that there are more than 40 gene variants known to be associated with obesity and fat distribution.

Genetics are inevitable, but they can be minimized. Keep in mind, genetics only increases a person's risk of obesity and a distended stomach. Implementing a healthy lifestyle and diet can minimize the risk of obesity. Lack of sleep

Illustration of lack of sleep (freepik.com/yanalya)

Reported by Medical News Today, a study shows that short or little sleep duration can lead to excess belly fat. Because, this can increase appetite and potentially lead to unhealthy eating behaviors, such as emotional eating.

Then, citing Healthline, some studies also stated a link between lack of sleep and the addition of belly fat. A study of more than 68,000 women over 16 years showed that those who slept for 5 hours or less each night experienced a 32 percent increase in weight gaining as much as 15 kilograms, compared to those who slept at least 7 hours every night. Polycystic ovary syndrome

Illustration of PCOS (india.com)

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have higher amounts of visceral fat.