Fact: Everyone has a little belly fat. Even people with flat abs.
This is normal, however, having too much belly fat can affect your health in a way that other fat doesn’t.

Two types of belly fat:

• Visceral: Fats that surrounds our organs.
• Subcutaneous: Fats that sits under our skin. Stores energy and also acts as a protection and heat.

Having a small amount of fat below the skin is perfectly normal and healthy. It is the visceral fat that is the most dangerous type of fat – leading to heart attacks and diabetes. This is because the deep abdominal fat is more temporary, circulates throughout the bloodstream more regularly, and therefore is likely to increase the fat amount in our blood, blood sugar levels, heighten the risk of heart diseases, and Type-2 diabetes.

What causes belly (visceral) fat?

Poor diet

• Regular intake of sugary food and beverages (eg: cakes, soda, and fruit juices) can cause weight gain, slows down a person’s metabolism, and greatly reduces a person’s ability to burn fat.

Lack of exercise

• As simple as this theory: if we consume more calories than we burn off, we will put on weight.

Stress

• Cortisol – this steroid hormone helps our body control and deal with stress. However, when a person is experiencing high-pressure or high level of stress, the body releases cortisol which will impact their metabolism. People often reach out to food/snacks for comfort when feeling stressed, and cortisol causes the excess calories to remain around the belly and other body areas for later use.

Genetics

• Some evidence shows that genes may play a part in whether or not the person becomes obese as it influences behaviour, metabolism, and the risk of developing obesity-related diseases.

Poor sleeping habits

• A study done by Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine linked weight gain to lesser sleep and poor sleep quality, which could prominently be a reason leading to excess belly fat.

Too much alcohol intake; aka ‘beer-belly’

• The age-old adage makes drinking our favourite beer synonymous with getting fat. Alcohol consumption increases body fat percentage, both in men and women. This fat deposits specifically in the abdominal area of the body.

How much belly fat do you have?

The most precise way to know how much visceral fat you have is to get a CT scan or MRI.  But here’s a much simpler and low-cost way:

Wrap a measuring tape around your waist at your belly button and check your girth, while standing up. Tip for health’s sake: you would want your waist size to be less than 35inches (for females) and less than 40inches (for males).

How to lose belly fat safely & effectively?

Curb carbs instead of fats

• You are what you eat. A team of researchers from Johns Hopkins compared the effects on the heart of losing weight through a low-carb diet vs a low-fat diet for six months. Each diet contains the same amount of calories, and those on a low-carb diet lost 10 pounds on average more than those on the low-fat diet. Being on a low-carb diet produces a higher quality of weight loss too!

Plan a healthy diet that you can follow

• Practise portion control, swap out certain food from your original diet for healthier options, and decreasing your food intake is a good way to start. You will start noticing that you are losing weight and fats on the whole and your metabolism will function better.

Having a good night sleep

• Not a myth: simply sleeping more (or at least 7 to 8 hours daily) can improve your metabolic rates and you will find yourself performing better.

Painless Scientifically-backed Treatments
Tapping on modern technology to lose belly fat quickly & safely: 

• I-LIPO – try our first-trial!
  Internationally acclaimed, I-Lipo laser treatment is the smart, non-invasive alternative to liposuction, as it can help you reduce fat and tone your body without pain, needles and discomfort* effectively. Unlike liposuction which can potentially be risky, the I-Lipo has been clinically proven to be safe with no side effects.
• Venus Body Fat/Cellulite Reduction – try out first-trial!
  Uses Multi-Polar Radio Frequency and Pulsed Electro Magnetic Fields to produce heat under the skin’s surface. Helps to naturally increase collagen and elastin fibers, while also shrinks the volume of fat cells.Many also compared this treatment to a hot-stone massage with a soothing & therapeutic heat that stimulates the body’s natural healing response that causes the skin to contract = tighter skin, softening of wrinkles and reduced cellulite!

Always remember; slow metabolism is not something you can change or reverse in a night. It might take a little longer for you to see results but it will be worthwhile.

Need a little more help? Contact our friendly team at hello@thebodyfirm.com.sg or call 6838 0331 for one-to-one advice!