Belly fat, what is it and why is it so hard to burn?

The human body is an amazing biological machine. It will adapt to any stimuli applied to it. One of these adaptations is the ability to store excess food in energy reserves all over the body. In times of surplus we will store excess energy in the form of fat and in times of famine these energy supplies will be burnt. Present day life, especially in the developed western world, the times of famine are almost non existent, which is fantastic, but unfortunately means we are constantly living in a time of surplus if we allow ourselves to. It has never been easier to have your favourite food delivered to your house, and with the lockdowns of COVID-19 in recent times, people have become accustomed to moving less and buying takeout more. This caloric equation can only lead an increase in the amount of fat stored in your body.

Body fat is stored all of the body in two forms, visceral and subcutaneous. Both are necessary for our body’s function. Visceral protects and cushion our organs, but too much can be very harmful to your health, and increase your likelihood of metabolic syndrome which includes, heart disease, type two diabetes and fatty liver disease. Subcutaneous fat sits directly under the skin, helps with insulation of the body and is readily available to be burnt for energy. Subcutaneous fat is stored all over the body but its distribution can vary between sexes.

In males, the majority is stored around the abdomen and in females it is more distributed around the hips and thighs. Researchers believe this to be due to the roles of testosterone and estrogen. There are more visceral fat receptors for testosterone around the abdomen hence why men have “beer belly’s”. Whereas the fat cells of the hip and thighs in women have a greater level of estrogen receptors causing a shift in fat distribution compared to the male. Interestingly, after women experience menopause (a significant decrease in estrogen) the fat redistributes more around the belly, just like the male. So the risk factors for high levels of visceral fat in the abdomen contribute significantly to women’s long term health as well.

During a sustained energy deficit the individual will burn fat from all areas of the body. Although most people will feel as if nothing is being lost from the belly area, this is far from the case, as fat will be quickly burnt from the extremities as there is much less compared to the belly. Eventually the visceral fat from the belly, and hips and thighs in females will be burnt if an energy deficit is maintained long enough. Patience is key, this is the most important point. Sustained, consistent small energy deficits will produce fantastic health results in the long term. Maintaining a waist circumference under 100cm (males)/90cm (females) significantly reduces a persons likelihood of developing metabolic syndrome (heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke) and will significantly improve the quality of their life.

It is a great idea to start a weight training program in conjunction with healthy nutrition changes to maximise fat loss results and build muscle. An increase in muscle mass and decrease in body fat will give a slimming appearance despite overall weight remaining the same. Maintaining greater lean mass over a number of years will help burn excess belly fat and keep that waistline well below 100cm for males and 90cm for females and significantly improve your health. Patience and consistency will win the battle every time against stubborn belly fat. Although it may take over 6 months to start significantly reducing fat from this area, DO NOT GIVE UP, fat is always being burnt despite how you think or feel. Think about it this way, if it took you 5-10+ years to gain this much it is not just going to be lost in less than 3-6 months. Get training, stay positive, and try and maintain a healthy lifestyle for 6+ months and watch that belly fat disappear!