A man with pot belly was perceived to be wealthy and living large. For women, it was assumed she got married, got an increased waistline and chubby cheeks.
This was an indication that her husband was taking good care of her and vice versa.
However, times have changed and modern science is starting to reveal facts that show that a large tummy increases your chances of developing chronic diseases.
Body fat is good for you in small quantities as this protects 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, 6feet(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.
