Why Do You Have a Fat Belly?

Have you sprouted a fat belly, one that you never had before? It happens a lot to menopausal women. Even if you've always been a beanpole, you could find yourself noticing that you have more tummy fat once you hit the menopausal years.

Stubborn belly fat is a pain, but before you work out how to tackle it, it's helpful to understand the reasons why your belly might be rounder and podgier that ever before.

Take a look through this list, and see which reasons apply to you - then take action. You can reduce a fat belly, it's just a question of knowing how.

Poor diet

Take an honest look at your eating habits. Too much junk food, too many sugary or fatty snacks instead of healthy snacks, unhealthy meals, not enough fresh fruit and veg and wholegrains?

A crucial factor in the fight against belly fat is simply the number of calories you consume in a day. Fast foods and processed foods often conceal a high calorie count, and don't satisfy you for long, so you eat more.

Lack of exercise

Do you take 30 minutes of exercise every day? And include strength training as part of your exercise? If you're not working at building muscle as well as losing fat, then your belly isn't going to start shrinking the way you want it to.

Family factors

A predisposition to lay down fat on the belly can be influence by genetics. Were your parents or grandparents plump? Do you take after them in your general build? You could be more likely to develop an apple shape in midlife than someone who comes from a family of skinnies.

Too much stress

Is your 'to do' list a mile long? Do you find it hard to fit everything into your day, and do you do a lot of fixing for other people - family, kids, colleagues?

If you're constantly under pressure, your body responds by releasing the hormone cortisol, which encourages your body to store fat around the middle.

You're also quite likely to respond to pressures in your life by stress eating - another cortisol trigger.

Slowed metabolism

Your body burns food less efficiently as you get older. Even if you've maintained the same weight for years, if you go into your menopause without making changes to your diet and taking more exercise, you're likely to gain.

Stomach bloating

Women in menopause sometimes complain of increased stomach bloating. Stress can affect your digestion, and can also cause Irritable Bowel Syndrome, which can cause a bloated stomach.

Think about the reasons that contribute to YOUR fat belly. And find out more about menopausal weight gain. Then you can work out the best ways to reduce the fat around your abdominals.