There are several reasons that cause men to allow fat to accumulate in their abdomen which leads to pot belly. Some of these factors are social while others are eating habits and lifestyles.
Social status
Some cultures highly regard men with protruding bellies. Western cultures loathe beer bellies, but some less developed countries still cherish pot bellies. They view these men as wealthy, comfortable, powerful and satisfied in life. This encourages younger men to develop bellies to receive such praise and recognition in the society.
Age
Generally as men grow older they develop potbellies. Can you remember your slim high school sweetheart, how does he look now. Pot belly does not occur to all men with age. It is only common occurrence to men who reduce the level of activity and exercising with age.
The level of exercising with age is also influenced by culture and social standings. In some communities, it is a taboo for men of a certain age to be seen running like children. They are required to walk in manner that suggests that they are mature and respectable.
Marital Status
Generally, unmarried men are skinny compared to married men. This is attributed to the fact that unmarried men, do not take time to cook and eat well. Most bachelors survive on the minimum food possible. After marriage, they have access to food and a lot of it. This can propel excessive eating habits leading to development of potbellies.
Wealth
This is a controversial point. Most men as they accumulate wealthy, their lifestyle changes. They no longer walk long distances, instead, they drive. Their jobs change from moving from office to office to just sitting on a desk the whole day.
Computer era has also a lot to be blamed for this. All files are handled digitally, therefore there is limited movements.
Others still think that, if they are wealthy, they should look ‘fat’. In other words, wealth is synonymous with fat people in some communities.
Beer
There is a popular belief that pot bellies in men are caused by drinking beer. This is why pot belly is referred to as ‘beer belly’. However, lets evaluate the facts, there are people who do not drink but develop pot belly. At the same time, there are people who are daily drinkers yet are extremely skinny. Therefore we should not generalise beer as a bad evil that impregnates men.
There are several reasons why beer is blamed for pot bellies in men.
The first reason is that beer is high in calories. 1 gram of alcohol contains approximately 7 Calories. This is the second highest number of calories compared to other macronutrients in food. 1 gram of fat contains 9 Calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates contains 4 Calories and 1 gram of protein contains 4 Calories. Calories in beer are referred to as empty calories. This implies that most of these calories end up converted into fat.
A 500 ml beer (approximately 1 pint) which is 5 % v/v alcohol contains approximately 170 Calories. This means that consuming 5 beer bottles of 500 ml gives a total of 850 Calories. These are only derived from beer. When you add the calories from the other foods then you exceed the daily recommended calorie intake.
Beer consumption leads to hunger, this can cause a person to eat additional unhealthy foods which are also high in calories such as barbecue meat (commonly referred to as choma), sausages and other fatty foods. Actually, many beer drinkers say that fatty foods reduces the level of drunkenness.
Beer also leads to dropping of blood sugars level. This leads to lethargy. Lethargy leads to reduced activity which implies that less calories are burned. The burning of less calories increases the likely hood of accumulation of fat and hence pot belly.
Natural Ways to Lose Belly Fat
Never Skip Breakfast:
Do you feel skipping breakfast is going to help you in losing the spare tire? No, not at all… In fact, it’s really harmful for your body. After waking from a long sleep your body needs food to regain the energy for the activities following up. However, if you skip your breakfast, then you are starving yourself and preventing the progress of your body’s metabolic process.
According to a recent study, dietitians have found that the best and the most important food throughout the day is your breakfast.
Eat Slowly But Surely:
Don’t be in a rush while eating your food. Pay attention to what you are eating. Don’t take big bites, take small bites and eat your food gradually. By doing so, you feel fuller and will have fewer snack cravings.
Reduce Your Calorie Consumption:
Check out how much calorie do you intake daily. Reduction in the calorie consumption would help in preventing your belly fat from increasing.
Eat The Better Fats:
The mono-saturated fats out of the other fats present in our foods are the best fats for our body. Soybeans, seeds, nuts, avocado are rich in mono-saturated fats.
Include More Fiber In Diet:
Soluble fiber present in apples, cherries and oats help in lowering the insulin levels which in turn help in reducing belly fat by burning the visceral fats.
Reduce Salt Consumption:
The presence of extra salt content in our body retains more water, which makes our bladder seem bloated.
Don’t Overcook Your Meal:
Ensure that the food you are eating has been cooked properly. Eating an overcooked food has lesser benefits as at a high temperature the food loses it vitamins and essential nutrients.
Drink Loads and Loads of Water:
Water not only keeps your body organs hydrated it also maintains the proper functioning of the endocrine system. The endocrine system is responsible for the metabolic process of the body. Drinking more water helps in increasing the metabolism of the body and thus helps in burning more calories.
Have Fresh And Unsweetened Vegetables and Fruit Juices:
Drinking homemade juice made of vegetables, and fruits can be one of the several natural ways to lose belly fat. However, avoid adding sugar to them as they already have sugar content in them. These juices not only give the benefits of many vitamins, minerals and carbs but also help in detoxification.
Cut Down Your Alcohol Intake:
The worst side effect of alcohol consumption on your body is it results in slowing down the metabolism of your body by affecting the liver. However, having a glass of red wine occasionally is probably the best option as it is not only a low carbohydrate drink, but it gives some other health benefits too.
Move As Much As Possible
Remain active throughout the day. If you are a desk worker, then avoid sitting for long hours. Take a break of 5 minutes to walk. Belly fat is common in those people you are either lazy or who have a sedentary lifestyle. Walking and moving not only keep you active also help in reducing your full body fat, especially the belly fat.
At the workplace avoid using escalators, use stairs. While reading a book try to walk as walking and reading together are good combinations.
Work out the Most Effective Exercises:
The best exercises for the belly fat are cardiovascular exercises, which would make your heart thump and your fat burn. The main exercises that come under these cardiovascular exercises are: jogging, brisk walking, cycling, aerobics, swimming.
Stay Motivated:
It’s really necessary to stay motivated when you are on a diet regime to lose fat. Don’t expect the diet program to show results quickly.
Avoid Stress:
When we are stressed our body releases certain hormones that cause weight gain. So to avoid fat gain, try to remain stress free.
Take More Sleep:
At least, 7 -8 hours of sleep is necessary for the body to relax. A relaxed body has a better metabolism.
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