Published on: 7/9/2025
What factors might be contributing to my gaining belly fat?
Gaining belly fat can be due to stress, eating too many processed foods, and how fat is stored in the body, especially for men.
Explanation
There are several reasons why you might be gaining belly fat.
Stress: Stress can cause your body to make more of a hormone called cortisol. When you have too much cortisol, your body might store more fat in your belly area. This is because cortisol can change how your body uses and stores fat.
Processed Foods: Eating a lot of processed foods can also lead to more belly fat. Processed foods often have a lot of sugar, unhealthy fats, and calories, which can make it easy to gain weight, especially around your belly.
Fat Storage in Men: For men, it's common to store more fat around the belly. This is because of how men's bodies are designed to store fat.
If you're feeling stressed, it's important to find ways to relax and take care of your mental health. You can visit 988lifeline.org for support. Eating healthier foods and finding ways to manage stress can help reduce belly fat.
(References)
- Nauli AM, & Matin S. (2019). Why Do Men Accumulate Abdominal Visceral Fat?. Frontiers in physiology, 31866877.
- Moyer AE, Rodin J, Grilo CM, Cummings N, Larson LM, & Rebuffé-Scrive M. (1994). Stress-induced cortisol response and fat distribution in .... Obesity research, 16353426.
- Konieczna J, Morey M, Abete I, Bes-Rastrollo M, Ruiz-Canela M, Vioque J, et al. (2021). Contribution of ultra-processed foods in visceral fat .... Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland), 33610419.
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