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NUTRITION
Evidence Based

12 Things That Make You Gain

Belly Fat
Excess belly fat is extremely unhealthy.

It’s a risk factor for diseases like metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer (1).

The medical term for unhealthy fat in the belly is “visceral fat,” which refers to fat surrounding the liver
and other organs in your abdomen.

Even normal-weight people with excess belly fat have an increased risk of health problems (2Trusted
Source).

Here are 12 things that make you gain belly fat.

1. Sugary Foods and Beverages

Many people take in more sugar every day than they realize.

High-sugar foods include cakes and candies, along with so-called “healthier” choices like muffins and
frozen yogurt. Soda, flavored coffee drinks and sweet tea are among the most popular sugar-sweetened
beverages.

Observational studies have shown a link between high sugar intake and excess belly fat. This may be
largely due to the high fructose content of added sugars (3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted
Source).

Both regular sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are high in fructose. Regular sugar has 50% fructose and
high-fructose corn syrup has 55% fructose.
In a controlled 10-week study, overweight and obese people who consumed 25% of calories as fructose-
sweetened beverages on a weight-maintaining diet experienced a decrease in insulin sensitivity and an
increase in belly fat (6Trusted Source).

A second study reported a reduction in fat burning and metabolic rate among people who followed a
similar high-fructose diet (7Trusted Source).

Although too much sugar in any form may lead to weight gain, sugar-sweetened beverages may be
especially problematic. Sodas and other sweet drinks make it easy to consume large doses of sugar in a
very short period of time.

What’s more, studies have shown that liquid calories don’t have the same effects on appetite as calories
from solid foods. When you drink your calories, it doesn’t make you feel full so you don’t compensate by
eating less of other foods instead (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

Frequently consuming foods and beverages high in sugar or high-fructose corn syrup may cause belly fat
gain.

2. Alcohol
Alcohol can have both healthful and harmful effects.

When consumed in moderate amounts, especially as red wine, it may lower your risk of heart attacks and
strokes (10).

However, high alcohol intake may lead to inflammation, liver disease and other health problems
(11Trusted Source).

Some studies have shown that alcohol suppresses fat burning and that excess calories from alcohol are
partly stored as belly fat — hence the term “beer belly” (12Trusted Source).

Studies have linked high alcohol intake to weight gain around the middle. One study found that men who
consumed more than three drinks per day were 80% more likely to have excess belly fat than men who
consumed less alcohol (13Trusted Source, 14Trusted Source).

The quantity of alcohol consumed within a 24-hour period also appears to play a role.
In another study, daily drinkers who consumed less than one drink per day tended to have the least
abdominal fat, while those who drank less often but consumed four or more drinks on “drinking days”
were most likely to have excess belly fat (15Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

Heavy alcohol consumption increases risk of several diseases and is linked to excess belly fat.

3. Trans Fats
Trans fats are the unhealthiest fats on the planet.

They’re created by adding hydrogen to unsaturated fats in order to make them more stable.

Trans fats are often used to extend the shelf lives of packaged foods, such as muffins, baking mixes and
crackers.

Trans fats have been shown to cause inflammation. This can lead to insulin resistance, heart disease and
various other diseases (16Trusted Source, 17, 18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).

There are also some animal studies suggesting that diets containing trans fats may cause excess belly fat
(20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source).

At the end of a 6-year study, monkeys fed an 8% trans fat diet gained weight and had 33% more
abdominal fat than monkeys fed an 8% monounsaturated fat diet, despite both groups receiving just
enough calories to maintain their weight (21Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

Trans fats increase inflammation that may drive insulin resistance and the accumulation of belly fat.

4. Inactivity
A sedentary lifestyle is one of the biggest risk factors for poor health (22Trusted Source).

Over the past few decades, people have generally become less active. This has likely played a role in the
rising rates of obesity, including abdominal obesity.
A major survey from 1988-2010 in the US found that there was a significant increase in inactivity, weight
and abdominal girth in men and women (23Trusted Source).

Another observational study compared women who watched more than three hours of TV per day to
those who watched less than one hour per day.

The group that watched more TV had almost twice the risk of “severe abdominal obesity” compared to
the group that watched less TV (24Trusted Source).

One study also suggests that inactivity contributes to the regain of belly fat after losing weight.

In this study, researchers reported that people who performed resistance or aerobic exercise for 1 year
after losing weight were able to prevent abdominal fat regain, while those who did not exercise had a 25–
38% increase in belly fat (25Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

Inactivity may promote an increase in belly fat. Resistance and aerobic exercise may prevent abdominal
fat regain after weight loss.

5. Low-Protein Diets
Getting adequate dietary protein is one of the most important factors in preventing weight gain.

High-protein diets make you feel full and satisfied, increase your metabolic rate and lead to a spontaneous
reduction in calorie intake (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source).

In contrast, low protein intake may cause you to gain belly fat over the long term.

Several large observational studies suggest that people who consume the highest amount of protein are
the least likely to have excess belly fat (28Trusted Source, 29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source).

In addition, animal studies have found that a hormone known as neuropeptide Y (NPY) leads to increased
appetite and promotes belly fat gain. Your levels of NPY increase when your protein intake is low
(31Trusted Source, 32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

Low protein intake may drive hunger and belly fat gain. It may also increase the hunger hormone
neuropeptide Y.
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6. Menopause
Gaining belly fat during menopause is extremely common.
At puberty, the hormone estrogen signals the body to begin storing fat on the hips and thighs in
preparation for a potential pregnancy. This subcutaneous fat isn’t harmful, although it can be extremely
difficult to lose in some cases (34Trusted Source).

Menopause officially occurs one year after a woman has her last menstrual period.

Around this time, her estrogen levels drop dramatically, causing fat to be stored in the abdomen, rather
than on the hips and thighs (35Trusted Source, 36Trusted Source).

Some women gain more belly fat at this time than others. This may partly be due to genetics, as well as
the age at which menopause starts. One study found that women who complete menopause at a younger
age tend to gain less abdominal fat (37Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

Hormonal changes at menopause result in a shift in fat storage from the hips and thighs to visceral fat in
the abdomen.

7. The Wrong Gut Bacteria

Hundreds of types of bacteria live in your gut, mainly in your colon. Some of these bacteria benefit
health, while others can cause problems.

The bacteria in your gut are also known as your gut flora or microbiome. Gut health is important for
maintaining a healthy immune system and avoiding disease.

An imbalance in gut bacteria increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and
other diseases (38Trusted Source).

There’s also some research suggesting that having an unhealthy balance of gut bacteria may promote
weight gain, including abdominal fat.

Researchers have found that obese people tend to have greater numbers of Firmicutes bacteria than
people of normal weight. Studies suggest that these types of bacteria may increase the amount of calories
that are absorbed from food (39Trusted Source, 40Trusted Source).

One animal study found that bacteria-free mice gained significantly more fat when they received fecal
transplants of bacteria associated with obesity, compared with mice that received bacteria linked to
leanness (40Trusted Source).
Studies on lean and obese twins and their mothers have confirmed that there is a common “core” of
shared flora among families that may influence weight gain, including where the weight is stored
(41Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

Having an imbalance of gut bacteria may cause weight gain, including belly fat.

8. Fruit Juice
Fruit juice is a sugary beverage in disguise.

Even unsweetened 100% fruit juice contains a lot of sugar.

In fact, 8 oz (250 ml) of apple juice and cola each contain 24 grams of sugar. The same amount of grape
juice packs a whopping 32 grams of sugar (42, 43, 44).

Although fruit juice provides some vitamins and minerals, the fructose it contains can drive insulin
resistance and promote belly fat gain (45Trusted Source).

What’s more, it’s another source of liquid calories that’s easy to consume too much of, yet still fails to
satisfy your appetite in the same way as solid food (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

Fruit juice is a high-sugar beverage that can promote insulin resistance and belly fat gain if you drink too
much of it.

9. Stress and Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone that’s essential for survival.

It’s produced by the adrenal glands and is known as a “stress hormone” because it helps your body to
mount a stress response.

Unfortunately, it can lead to weight gain when produced in excess, especially in the abdominal region.
In many people, stress drives overeating. But instead of the excess calories being stored as fat all over the
body, cortisol promotes fat storage in the belly (46Trusted Source, 47Trusted Source).

Interestingly, women who have large waists in proportion to their hips have been found to secrete more
cortisol when stressed (48Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

The hormone cortisol, which is secreted in response to stress, may lead to increased abdominal fat. This is
particularly true in women with higher waist-to-hip ratios.

10. Low-Fiber Diets

Fiber is incredibly important for good health and controlling your weight.

Some types of fiber can help you feel full, stabilize hunger hormones and reduce calorie absorption from
food (49Trusted Source, 50).

In an observational study of 1,114 men and women, soluble fiber intake was associated with reduced
abdominal fat. For each 10-gram increase in soluble fiber there was a 3.7% decrease in belly fat
accumulation (51Trusted Source).

Diets high in refined carbs and low in fiber appear to have the opposite effect on appetite and weight gain,
including increases in belly fat (52Trusted Source, 53Trusted Source, 54Trusted Source).

One large study found that high-fiber whole grains were associated with reduced abdominal fat, while
refined grains were linked to increased abdominal fat (54Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

A diet that is low in fiber and high in refined grains may lead to increased amounts of belly fat.

11. Genetics
Genes play a major role in obesity risk (55Trusted Source).

Similarly, it appears that the tendency to store fat in the abdomen is partly influenced by genetics
(56Trusted Source, 57Trusted Source, 58Trusted Source).
This includes the gene for the receptor that regulates cortisol and the gene that codes for
the leptin receptor, which regulates calorie intake and weight (58Trusted Source).

In 2014, researchers identified three new genes associated with increased waist-to-hip ratio and
abdominal obesity, including two that were found only in women (59Trusted Source).

However, much more research needs to be conducted in this area.

BOTTOM LINE:

Genes appear to play a role in high waist-to-hip ratios and storage of excess calories as belly fat.

12. Not Enough Sleep

Getting enough sleep is crucial for your health.

Many studies have also linked inadequate sleep with weight gain, which may include abdominal fat
(60Trusted Source, 61Trusted Source, 62Trusted Source).

One large study followed over 68,000 women for 16 years.

Those who slept 5 hours or less per night were 32% more likely to gain 32 lbs (15 kg) than those who
slept at least 7 hours (63Trusted Source).

Sleep disorders may also lead to weight gain. One of the most common disorders, sleep apnea, is a
condition in which breathing stops repeatedly during the night due to soft tissue in the throat blocking the
airway.

In one study, researchers found that obese men with sleep apnea had more abdominal fat than obese men
without the disorder (64Trusted Source).

BOTTOM LINE:

Short sleep or poor-quality sleep may lead to weight gain, including belly fat accumulation.

Take Home Message

Many different factors can make you gain excess belly fat.
There are a few you can’t do much about, like your genes and hormone changes at menopause. But there
are also many factors you can control.

Making healthy choices about what to eat and what to avoid, how much you exercise and how you
manage stress can all help you lose belly fat.

FEEDBACK:

Written by Franziska Spritzler on May 16, 2016

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NUTRITION
Evidence Based

6 Simple Ways to Lose Belly

Fat, Based on Science
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our process.

Losing abdominal fat, or belly fat, is a common weight loss goal.

Abdominal fat is a particularly harmful type. Research suggests strong links with diseases like type 2
diabetes and heart disease (1Trusted Source).

For this reason, losing this fat can have significant benefits for your health and well-being.

You can measure your abdominal fat by measuring the circumference around your waist with a tape
measure. Measures of above 40 inches (102 cm) in men and 35 inches (88 cm) in women are known as
abdominal obesity (2).

Certain weight loss strategies can target the fat in the belly area more than other areas of the body.

Here are 6 evidence-based ways to lose belly fat.

Photography by Aya Brackett

1. Avoid sugar and sugar-sweetened

drinks
Foods with added sugars are bad for your health. Eating a lot of these types of food can cause weight
gain.
Studies show that added sugar has uniquely harmful effects on metabolic health (3Trusted Source).

Numerous studies have indicated that excess sugar, mostly due to the large amounts of fructose, can lead
to fat building up around your abdomen and liver (6).

Sugar is half glucose and half fructose. When you eat a lot of added sugar, the liver gets overloaded with
fructose and is forced to turn it into fat (4Trusted Source, 5).

Some believe that this is the main process behind sugar’s harmful effects on health. It increases
abdominal fat and liver fat, which leads to insulin resistance and various metabolic problems (7Trusted
Source).

Liquid sugar is worse in this regard. The brain doesn’t seem to register liquid calories in the same way as
solid calories, so when you drink sugar-sweetened beverages, you end up eating more total calories
(8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).

A study observed that children were 60% more likely to develop obesity with each additional daily
serving of sugar-sweetened beverages (10).

Try minimizing the amount of sugar in your diet and consider completely eliminating sugary drinks. This
includes sugar-sweetened beverages, sugary sodas, fruit juices, and various high sugar sports drinks.

Read the labels to make sure products do not contain refined sugars. Even foods marketed as health foods
can contain significant amounts of sugar.

Keep in mind that none of this applies to whole fruit, which are extremely healthy and have plenty of
fiber that mitigates the negative effects of fructose.

Summary Excess sugar consumption may

be the primary driver of excess fat in the abdomen and liver. This is
particularly true of sugary beverages like soft drinks.

2. Eat more protein

Protein may be the most important macronutrient for weight loss.

Research shows it can reduce cravings by 60%, boost metabolism by 80–100 calories per day, and help
you eat up to 441 fewer calories per day (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13Trusted
Source, 14Trusted Source).
If weight loss is your goal, adding protein may be the single most effective change you can make to your
diet.

Not only can protein help you to lose weight, but it may also help you to avoid regaining weight
(15Trusted Source).

Protein may be particularly effective in reducing abdominal fat. One study showed that people who ate
more and better protein had much less abdominal fat (16).

Another study indicated that protein was linked to a significantly reduced chance of abdominal fat gain
over 5 years in women (17Trusted Source).

This study also linked refined carbs and oils to more abdominal fat and linked fruit and vegetables to
reduced fat.

Many of the studies observing that protein helps with weight loss had people getting 25–30% of their
calories from protein. Therefore, this may be a good range to try.

Try increasing your intake of high protein foods such as whole eggs, fish, legumes, nuts, meat, and dairy
products. These are the best protein sources for your diet.

When following a vegetarian or vegan diet, check out this article on how to increase your protein intake.

If you struggle with getting enough protein in your diet, a quality protein supplement – like whey protein
— is a healthy and convenient way to boost your total intake. You can find plenty of protein powder
options online.

Summary Eating plenty of protein can

boost your metabolism and reduce hunger levels, making it a very effective way
to lose weight. Several studies suggest that protein is particularly effective
against abdominal fat.
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3. Eat fewer carbohydrates

Eating fewer carbs is a very effective way to lose fat.

This is supported by numerous studies. When people cut carbs, their appetite goes down and they lose
weight (18).

More than 20 randomized controlled studies have now shown that low carb diets sometimes lead to 2–3
times more weight loss than low fat diets (19, 20, 21).

This is true even when those in the low carb groups are allowed to eat as much as they want, while those
in the low fat groups are calorie restricted.

Low carb diets also lead to quick reductions in water weight, which gives people fast results. People often
see a difference on the scale within 1–2 days.

Studies comparing low carb and low fat diets indicate that low carb eating specifically reduces fat in the
abdomen and around the organs and liver (22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source).

This means that some of the fat lost on a low carb diet is harmful abdominal fat.

Just avoiding the refined carbs — like sugar, candy, and white bread — should be sufficient, especially if
you keep your protein intake high.

If the goal is to lose weight fast, some people reduce their carb intake to 50 grams per day. This puts your
body into ketosis, a state in which your body starts burning fats as its main fuel and appetite is reduced.

Low carb diets have many other health benefits besides just weight loss. For example, they can
significantly improve health in people with type 2 diabetics (24).

Summary Studies have shown that

cutting carbs is particularly effective at getting rid of the fat in the belly
area, around the organs, and in the liver.

4. Eat fiber-rich foods

Dietary fiber is mostly indigestible plant matter.

Eating plenty of fiber can help with weight loss. However, the type of fiber is important.

It appears that mostly the soluble and viscous fibers have an effect on your weight. These are fibers that
bind water and form a thick gel that “sits” in your gut (25Trusted Source).
This gel can dramatically slow the movement of food through your digestive system. It can also slow
down the digestion and absorption of nutrients. The end result is a prolonged feeling of fullness and
reduced appetite (26Trusted Source).

One review study found that an additional 14 grams of fiber per day were linked to a 10% decrease in
calorie intake and weight loss of around 4.5 pounds (2 kg) over 4 months (27Trusted Source).

One 5-year study reported that eating 10 grams of soluble fiber per day was linked to a 3.7% reduction in
the amount of fat in the abdominal cavity (28Trusted Source).

This implies that soluble fiber may be particularly effective at reducing harmful belly fat.

The best way to get more fiber is to eat a lot of plant foods, including vegetables and fruit. Legumes are
also a good source, as well as some cereals, such as whole oats.

You can also try taking a fiber supplement like glucomannan. This is one of the most viscous dietary
fibers, and studies suggest it can help with weight loss (29Trusted Source, 30Trusted Source).

It’s important to talk to your healthcare provider before introducing this or any supplement to your dietary
regimen.

Summary There’s some evidence that

soluble dietary fiber can lead to reduced amounts of belly fat. This should
cause major improvements in metabolic health and reduce the risk of certain diseases.

5. Exercise regularly
Exercise is among the best things you can do to increase your chances of living a long, healthy life and
avoiding disease.

Helping to reduce abdominal fat is among the amazing health benefits of exercise.

This doesn’t mean doing abdominal exercises, as spot reduction — losing fat in one spot — is not
possible. In one study, 6 weeks of training just the abdominal muscles had no measurable effect on waist
circumference or the amount of fat in the abdominal cavity (31Trusted Source).

Weight training and cardiovascular exercise will reduce fat across the body.

Aerobic exercise — like walking, running, and swimming — can allow major reductions in abdominal fat
(32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source).
Another study found that exercise completely prevented people from regaining abdominal fat after weight
loss, implying that exercise is particularly important during weight maintenance (34Trusted Source).

Exercise also leads to reduced inflammation, lower blood sugar levels, and improvements in other
metabolic problems associated with excess abdominal fat (35Trusted Source).

Summary Exercise can be very

effective for reducing abdominal fat and providing many other health benefits.

6. Track your food intake

Most people know that what you eat is important, but many don’t know specifically what they’re eating.

A person might think they’re eating a high protein or low carb diet, but without keeping track, it’s easy to
overestimate or underestimate food intake.

Tracking food intake doesn’t mean you need to weigh and measure everything you eat. Tracking intake
every now and then for a few days in a row can help you realize the most important areas for change.

Planning ahead can help you achieve specific goals, such as boosting your protein intake to 25–30% of
calories or cutting down on unhealthy carbs.

Check out these articles here for a calorie calculator and a list of free online tools and apps to track what
you’re eating.

The bottom line

Abdominal fat, or belly fat, is linked to an increased risk of certain diseases.

Most people can reduce their abdominal fat through taking on key lifestyle changes, such as eating a
healthy diet packed with lean protein, vegetables and fruit, and legumes, and exercising regularly.

For more tips on weight loss, read about 26 evidence-based weight loss strategies here.

How to Lose Weight Fast in 3 Simple

Steps
Last medically reviewed on March 17, 2020

FEEDBACK:

Written by Kris Gunnars, BSc on March 17, 2020 — Medically reviewed by Atli Arnarson BSc,
PhD

How to Lose Weight Fast: 3 Simple Steps, Based on Science

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