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