Having a potbelly can be due to your lifestyle, the food you eat, everyday struggle, or maybe it is even hereditary. Potbelly, which also means “abdominal fat or obesity,” occurs when there is excess fat around the stomach area. Above all, belly fat can signal the need to be health conscious. Below are the causes of potbelly you should know:
1. Alcohol
Alcohol can be very harmful to your health when you consume it in high quantities all the time. It can cause liver disease, inflammation, cancer, and excess weight. In addition, consuming much alcohol can lead to potbelly or belly fat and weight gain overall.
2. Foods high in sugar
Foods high in sugar, especially processed ones, can cause abdominal fat. These foods include soda, energy drinks, pastries, cereals, granola, and so on. Moreover, there is no nutritional benefit in consuming too much sugar; it is very unhealthy.
3. Lack of physical activity
Lack of physical activity can affect your health; you might not even know on time. For instance, sitting for too long throughout the day can increase your chances of gaining weight. It is not healthy enough if you don’t engage in any form of exercise.
4. Gut bacteria
Harmful and helpful bacteria live in your gut, but unfavourable ones can cause health issues. The gut is crucial for maintaining a healthy immune system and reducing the risk of getting diseases. But when it is infected, you can develop heart disease, diabetes, bowel syndrome, and obesity. Your belly would be significantly affected when your system has an unhealthy balance of gut bacteria.
Read Also: Childhood Obesity: A parents’ guide to prevention (II)
5. Too much stress
Too much stress can cause fat accumulation, which, of course, could add to your belly. Chronic stress makes fat hard to lose because it can accelerate the production of cortisol — a hormone that affects the tissue and organs in your body. When cortisol becomes too high, it can lead to unwanted weight.
6. Genetics
Genetics is one of the conditions of how fat is stored in the abdomen. In other words, the cause of your potbelly can be hereditary; obesity can be influenced by genetics.