Beer Belly Could Break Your Bones

Obesity is associated with a plethora of health problems ranging from high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol levels to asthma and arthritis. Until recently, most medical professional believed that overweight men were less likely to suffer from poor bone health than women.

Recent studies have suggested that this is no longer the case. The change in beliefs is not due to a change in men’s health, but more a direct result of the fact that the majority of early studies regarding bone health have been conducted on women.

The Study

A team of researchers led by Miriam Bredella, an associate professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School and a practicing radiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, conducted a study on obesity in men and the effects on bone health. The men in the study were divided into 2 groups. The first group was made up of men whose obesity was a result of subcutaneous fat, the type of fat that is found just under the skin, dispersed throughout the body. The second group of men suffered from visceral fat, the deep fat that pads the abdomen, deep beneath the layers of muscles. Visceral fat is the dangerous fat, referred to as the beer belly.

Visceral Fat

Visceral fat, or beer belly fat, can be a problem for both overweight and thin people. This type of fat is dangerous because it accumulates between the organs and is closely related to the development of heart disease. Visceral fat can develop as a result of a poor diet and an inactive lifestyle, though it can also be genetic in some individuals.

The men in the study, all within the same age range, underwent various testing methods, such as abdominal CT scans. Bone strength was evaluated as was their risk of developing a bone fracture. Testing revealed that the men with the beer bellies had bones that were twice as weak as the men without beer bellies. The men without beer bellies also had increased muscle mass.

The Correlation

The underlying reasons for the association between beer belly and weak bones are the presence of less human growth hormone in men with beer bellies, and the secretion of inflammatory molecules from visceral fat. Human growth hormone helps to maintain strong healthy bones, so a shortage of it can lead to weakened bones. The inflammatory secretions produced by visceral fat further weaken bones, leading to an overall increased risk of decreased bone strength I men with beer bellies.

How To Get Rid Of A Beer Belly

Alcohol

Getting rid of visceral fat and the beer belly that comes with it can be a challenging task. There is no magic bullet for eliminating a beer gut. There are however, some slow and steady steps that can be taken to chip away at visceral fat and slowly eliminate the beer belly it causes.

It’s called a beer belly for a reason, and a good place to start is cutting back on beer and alcohol in general. Beer should be limited to one per day at the most, and heavy beers should be replaced with light versions. There is a strong link between belly fat and calories from alcohol, so cutting back on any alcohol is a strong step in the right direction.

Read More: Why Belly Fat is Unhealthy and Why Soluble Fiber may be Your Lifesaver

Diet

Cleaning up your diet is the next step, and one of the most important ones. While exercise is a healthy habit, it won’t do anything for eliminating a beer belly if you have an unhealthy diet. Exercises such as sit-ups and crunches will strengthen and tone your abdominal muscles and help you to hold your belly fat in, but it does nothing to eliminate that fat.

The only way to lose the beer belly is to lose weight. The best way to lose weight is to eat a nutritious healthy diet. Eliminate junk food and empty calories and opt for healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes,  low-fat dairy, and lean cuts of meat.

Cardio

After you get your diet on track, you can start with a good exercise routine. Though strength building exercises are good for your overall health, it is cardiovascular exercise that will help you lose weight and shed your beer belly. Cardio exercises that focus on aerobic activity are the most effective in burning fat. Though treadmills and similar apparatus are effective, many people find them to be monotonous and boring. You can increase your activity levels and get a good cardio workout with other aerobic activities, such as running, bicycling, playing tennis, swimming or taking a cardio class at your local gym. Any type of cardio exercise will boost the effects of a healthy diet and will speed up your weight loss.

Beer belly fat that accumulates around the midsection is more receptive to weight loss efforts. This is because belly fat is more metabolically active than subcutaneous fat, which means when the metabolism gets going, belly fat is the first to go with it. Belly fat breaks down much quicker than overall body fat. The more belly fat you have to lose, the faster you lose it.

Though there is no one-stop-shop for eliminating a beer belly, by engaging in healthy lifestyle choices like the ones listed above, you can slowly start to lose weight and chip away at your beer belly. It is important to ease into lifestyle changes. Start by making once change at a time, and incorporating additional changes as you adjust. This will help to keep you on track rather than give up when things get tough. Drastic changes are harder to stick to, and have a higher fail rate than slow and steady lifestyle changes.