Bye, Bye Belly
Amber Wilhoit, RD, LD/N, NSCA-CPT
Why, Oh Why?
Age-related
weight gain
Hormonal Changes
Heredity
Decreased activity
Age-related weight gain
Metabolism slows
Body fat ↑
Muscle mass ↓
Average gain of one pound a year
Hormonal Changes
Women worse than men
After menopause, fat distribution shifts
Changes in the breakdown and storage of fat
Heredity
It’s all your fault! But I love you anyway.
Activity
Move it or lose it
Injuries
Family time
Now you see it, now you don’t
The fat you can’t see is worse for your health
Subcutaneous fatUnsightly at times
Visceral fatCardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Other health problems
The Fat Cell
Not just for energy storage
Disrupt normal hormonal balance
Produce hormones thatPromote insulin resistance
May increase estrogen
Risks of Abdominal Fat
Heart disease
Breast cancer
Diabetes
Metabolic syndrome
Gallbladder problems
High blood pressure
Colorectal cancer
How do I know if I’m at risk?
BMI
Waist-to-hip ratio
Measure waist circumferenceBest way to assess risk
Waist Measurement
A measurement of 33 inches or more
increases your health risks. A measurement of 35 inches or more
indicates an unhealthy concentration of abdominal fat.
Visceral fat is deep in abdomen
Decreases with regular exercise and a healthy diet
Targeted abdominal exercises may firm abdominal muscles and therefore flatten the belly
Spot Reduction?
Losing Belly Fat
ExerciseDaily, moderate-intensity exercise is the best way to lose weight and tone muscles
Strength training
Healthy dietSmall changes for big results
Healthy Diet
Eat breakfast every day
Don’t drink your calories
Avoid emotional eating
Keep healthier snacks available
Sit at the dinner table to eat
No distractions while eating
Eat slowly
Set Goals
Make your goalsSpecific
Measurable
Attainable
Realistic
Timely
SMART goal example
I will eat breakfast at least four days this week.
By December, I will be
eating breakfast at least
six days a week.
Bye, bye belly, bye bye
Heart Disease
#1 killer of women
Abdominal fat storage is marker of risk of heart attack
Apple vs Pear
High fat diet can lead to excessive intakes of “bad fat”/ saturated fat and elevate LDL cholesterol/ “bad cholesterol”
Diabetes
Can be diet-controlled
Hereditary link
Exercise helps
Metabolic Syndrome
Cluster of conditionsPrediabetes
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Cholesterol changes
Greater than half of all Americans are predisposed to it (heredity)
Metabolic Syndrome (cont.)Study on lean, young, non-smoking individuals who were sedentary
Found that insulin resistance in skeletal muscle leads to alterations in energy storage
Insulin resistant subjects’ energy was rerouted to liver triglyceride production, elevating triglycerides in blood by as much as 60% and lowering HDL cholesterol
Suggests abnormalities in insulin resistance begin before abdominal obesity and plasma adipocytokines are present
Interrelated Diseases
Metabolic SyndromeHeart DiseaseStrokeHigh blood pressureNeuropathyRetinopathyHigh Blood pressureObesity