It’s long been a known fact that in the US, the percentage of overweight and obese adults is quite high. The latest stats show that more than ⅔ of all American adults are either overweight or obese.
This is quite easy to understand and confirm, actually. You just have to go out and check out the bulging waistlines of the people around you. In fact, chances are that you might have the same problem.
And the problem of bulging waistlines is getting worse. Men’s waistlines in the US averaged 39 inches back in 2000. By the end of 2016, that went up to 40.2 inches.
A similar increase is also seen in women’s waistlines. The average for women in 2000 was 36.3 inches, and by 2016 it got up to 38.6 inches.
The stats are probably even worse right now in 2022, when most of us spent all our days at home. At least the gyms are open now, so we can all try to attack that large waistline and get to a trimmer form. Plenty of golf and country clubs such as the Bay Club in California also offer terrific gyms that will help you lose weight and get trimmer.
But prevention is better than cure, as lots of people like to say. So, it’s a good idea that you should have a better understanding of what leads to larger waistlines. That way, you’re more likely to figure out how you can prevent the problem from getting even worse.
Age
As you get older, you’re more likely to develop a bulging belly. For both men and women, the ability to burn calories generally decreases as they get older. Muscle mass just gets smaller as the years pass.
So, how does this fact help you? After all, it’s not as if you can just stop getting older.
The point, however, is that if your body doesn’t burn calories as efficiently as you were younger, then you’ll get increased fat production if you insist on consuming the same number of calories each day. That means you need to compensate for this issue. You will have to reduce your calorie consumption as you get older.
Lack of Exercise
This is perhaps one of the most obvious causes of potbelly. You don’t burn off as many calories as you eat, so your body converts those excess calories into fat. It just so happens that the belly is one of the most common fat repositories in the body.
This can also be affected by age, since you’re not as active as you were when you were in your 20s and 30s. But it’s also a problem even among younger adults, who lack either the time or discipline to exercise regularly.
Start with brisk walks every day, and then take it seriously enough that you get a gym membership. They usually even have trainers who can guide you on the best age-appropriate exercises you can do.
Chronic Stress
Lots of research studies show that chronically stress people are more likely to succumb to a high-sugar, high-fat diet. And that’s the kind of diet that can lead to a bulging waistline. Stress is also very common, as the American Institute of Stress has revealed that 77% of adults regularly undergo the physical symptoms of stress.
Stress is a well-known contributing factor to a lot physical and psychological health issues. It leads to cortisol production, which affects how the body stores fat around the lower abdomen. When you’re stressed, the higher levels of cortisol in your body somehow makes you think more about consuming sweet drinks and snacks. This is how the idea of comfort food came about, actually.
Alcohol
Ever notice how plenty of regular beer drinkers have larger than average bellies. A mug of beer may contain 250 calories (327 calories in 750ml), which doesn’t seem bad as drinks go. But unlike with sodas, you’re more likely to consume 6 to 8 mugs of beer especially if you’re a veteran drinker.
It’s not just with beer either. Too much drinking of any liquor can lead to increased calorie consumption. Lots of people tend to have this urge to eat after a bout of drinking.
And alcohol also reduces your body’s capability to burn off fat. That’s because your liver is too busy burning off the alcohol on your body!
All in all, be aware of these potential causes of bulging waistlines, and you may be able to avoid having a serious problem with it in the future.