The increased belly fat is not only a matter of embarrassment; it also makes your dressing choice confined. The fact of not being able to wear your favorite pair of old jeans could be seriously disappointing. Well, if you are a women in your late 50’s or 60’s, experiencing the same, there is a bundle of good news out there! Despite the side effects and dangers of belly fat in older women, it can be reduced with proper lifestyle changes and treatments. Let us have look at some tips to control belly fat.
Dangers of Belly Fat in Older Women!
Weight issues seem to crop up with aging. That’s the time when body metabolism slows down leading to gain of weight and often resulting in increased belly fat. Balancing your calories is very vital to avoid complications with age. Since aging already has a role to play in declining your muscle mass, maintaining a healthy body weight and getting rid of belly fat becomes quite challenging!
In women however, hormones also have an abundance role to play which affects body weight. Sometimes, your expanding waistline could be a result of decreased estragon leading to an “apple shaped” body. On the other hand, genetic components also have an effect over how evenly your weight gets distributed and how you appear. As this is a common occurrence, it is important to know about the dangers of belly fat in older women.
Various studies and clinical experiments have been carried out from time to time to examine the effect of increased body weight and dangers of belly fat in older women. A recent study attempted to determine if expanding belly has anything to do with age, worked on the US population comprising men, women and adults above 18 years of age.
Subject vitals including height, weight, body measurements, economic status were collected and were subjected to lab test for study.
Subjects suffering from chronic ailments and cancer were not included in the study.
Scientist figured out that people who had a higher hip to waist ratio had a greater tendency to die from any cause than others who were simply overweight. Moreover, this group were likely to die from heart ailments than any other cause as compared to the ones who had normal body mass index and healthy body weight. Thus, one of the major dangers of belly fat in older women is the increased risk of heart diseases and early death.
The study results seem scary! But, instead of panicking, you first need to determine the nature of belly fat you have been carrying for so long! As per the scientists, internal belly fat also called visceral fat is something that needs attention as it could be hazardous in the long run. Being accumulated along the interiors of your organs, it could likely increase the probability of health complications like heart diseases, high blood pressure, dementia etc. On the other hand, the fat squished just under your skin also known as subcutaneous fat isn’t threatening and has only cosmetic concerns associated.
Fat cells, particularly around the abdomen are biologically known to be active. Scientists are still trying to study individual hormones and the effect of abdominal obesity on the normal flow of hormones and its consequences on body weight.
Visceral fat also responsible for chalking out chemicals called cytokines associated with the immune system, thereby escalating the chances of suffering from cardiovascular disorders. This can further deteriorate the blood cell sensitivity to clotting, insulin, blood pressure etc. these problems can affect older women more due to the hormonal imbalance and reduce estrogen after menopause. All in all, belly fat in older women are alarming and need to be attended at once.
Ways to Get Rid of Belly Fat
Owing to the dangers of belly fat and the associated health risks, it is essential to take action to control it. Here are some tips to control belly fat.
Adopt a Healthy Diet
Diet has a great role to play over your body weight and belly fat, and the best part is you have a control over it! Include more of leafy veggies and fruits, whole grains including gluten-free and low carb dairy products.
Staying fit and healthy is not only vital to achieve optimum work capacity but also is an aspect of life. The advantages of having a well-structured diet are immense and can never be ignored. When body gets sufficient nutrients in the morning, it tends to work efficiently making you go with greater energy levels throughout the day. It also speeds up metabolism helping to burn the unnecessary belly fat keeping you in perfect shape.
Limit Sugar Intake
While sugar can be responsible for those extra calories and accumulation of fat around belly, you need to cut down those cravings and prevent yourself from taking so much fat. Avoid carbonated drinks, aerated beverages, too much caffeine if you want to get rid of belly fat and you will feel the difference automatically!
Balancing Portion Sizes
If you are determined to control or get rid of belly fat, then you need to keep your portion size under scan. Even little calories add up. You might want to ditch the three meals a day job, but then make sure you avoid snacking here and there. Also, when you are going out on weekends, party’s etc., make sure you keep a check on your cravings as that’s the time when one succumbs in to the temptation of eating more.
Stay Motivated
Remember, there will be times when you will feel like giving up, but then it will be you yourself who will have to motivate yourself to not give up in your efforts to control or get rid of belly fat. Keep pushing and remember all the effort will be all the worth in the end! Also, don’t ditch your consistency. Whatever you are doing be it light stretching exercises to yoga; maintain that in your routine.
Regular Physical Activity
Are you following a fitness regime, then how intense is it? According to a leading journal on Health Science, an adult requires spending at least 15 minutes every day in some form off physical exercise that could accelerate heart rate. Be it mild aerobic activity like jogging, brisk walking, or deep breathing exercises, do make them a part of your life as that can go a long way in getting rid of belly fat.
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