Causes of a distended stomach and 5 effective tips to shrink the stomach

There are many factors that cause a distended stomach, from hormonal changes to daily habits that are consciously or not. Apart from making you feel insecure, a distended stomach also makes you uncomfortable with your appearance. Not only that, the accumulation of fat in the stomach can also lead to chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer later in life.

Therefore, a distended stomach should not be underestimated. Moreover, this condition is not only owned by obese people. The reason is, even thin people can have a distended stomach, you know. Find out the various causes of a distended stomach and effective ways to overcome them below.

Various causes of a distended stomach

The following are various causes of a distended stomach that you should be aware of:

1. Hormones and age

The male and female bodies have different main storage areas for fat. In men, adipose tissue - the tissue that holds fat, accumulates in the abdomen and waist. Meanwhile, women are mostly collected in the hips and thighs. As they get older, men are more prone to have a distended stomach at the age of more than 40 years. The reason is that the reduction in the hormone testosterone causes excess calories in the body to accumulate into visceral fat.

In addition, increasing age will also make a person lose muscle mass, especially if you do not exercise less and sit more. Reduced muscle mass will reduce the body's metabolism in processing calories. As a result, the ability of fat cells in several organs of the body will decrease their function in storing fat. That is why if someone has excess fat, the fat will immediately collect in the stomach, which is the cause of a distended stomach.

2. Stress

Stress is also the cause of a distended stomach. Stress factors have a big effect on weight gain, causing fat accumulation in the stomach. In many people, when they are under stress, their appetite will increase, especially eating sugary and high-fat foods, causing excess fat to accumulate in the stomach.

In addition, the hormone cortisol, aka the stress hormone, will increase the amount of fat in the body and expand the size of fat cells. So high levels of the hormone cortisol in the body are often associated with increased belly fat.

3. Lazy to exercise

Lazy exercise is the main problem that causes a distended stomach. If you rarely do physical activity and exercise, everyday just eat and lie down, then don't be surprised if your stomach enlarges. The reason is, the fat from the food you eat will not burn without doing activity and cause fat to accumulate in only one part, namely the stomach.

Visceral fat is very responsive to diet and exercise techniques. Do moderate-intensity exercise, such as brisk walking, aerobics, zumba, jogging, etc. that allow you to be active. Muscle strength training is also important, its function is to tighten back muscle mass that is sagged due to the effects of aging.

In addition, exercise will also help you stabilize blood sugar, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If you do this, it will be effective in preventing weight gain, especially if it is balanced by paying attention to the intake of healthy and low-fat foods.

4. Lack of sleep

Having enough sleep is one of the important things that can affect health. Many studies have found that lack of sleep can increase the risk of weight gain, which affects visceral fat accumulation.

If you sleep less than six hours every night, it will increase your chances of accumulating belly fat as one of the causes of belly fat.

5. Consumption of alcohol

Like being overweight in general, central obesity, aka a distended stomach, is often triggered by alcohol consumption so that many call a distended stomach. beer belly or beer belly. When consuming alcohol, the activity of brain neurons increases which is associated with hunger. This is what makes heavy drunks more likely to have a distended stomach and be overweight.

In addition, alcohol consumption will increase the intake of glucose that is not needed by the body so that it will accumulate fat in the stomach.

6. Menopause

The cause of a distended stomach can also be due to menopause. Some women experience increased belly fat during menopause, which usually occurs one year after a woman has her last menstrual period.

During this time, estrogen levels drop dramatically, causing fat to be deposited in the stomach, not on the hips and thighs. One study found that women who menopause early are more likely to gain additional belly fat.

7.Bad posture (slouching)

Another factor that causes a distended stomach is having bad habits of standing and sitting. The reason is, having a bad posture will make the body look fat and belly bulge.

8. The presence of bacteria in the intestine

Maintaining intestinal health is very important to maintain a healthy immune system so that it can avoid disease. The reason is, hundreds of types of bacteria live in your intestines, especially in the large intestine. Some of the bacteria are beneficial for health, some are harmful.

Researchers have found that obese people tend to have an abundance of bacteria Firmicutes in the intestines more than in people of normal weight. Research has also shown that this type of bacteria can increase the number of calories absorbed from food so that it can increase body weight, including belly fat. It does not rule out the possibility of these bacteria nesting in thin people too.

Health problems caused by a distended stomach

Distended stomach turns out to save a lot of health problems. The risk of diseases, especially degenerative diseases also increases with the increase in fat deposits in the stomach. Several types of diseases that can be caused by fat accumulation in the abdominal area include:

1. High cholesterol

Fat in the stomach is closely related to levels of fat in the blood, especially cholesterol. This is because belly fat is located close to the blood vessels that connect the intestines to the liver.

Belly fat will release substances that contain free fatty acids and then carry it to the liver. This results in an increase in total cholesterol and bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. So do not be surprised if people who have a distended stomach usually also have high cholesterol levels.

2. High blood pressure

Recent research has shown that fat cells in the stomach produce a type of protein that has the potential to clog arteries and lead to increased blood pressure. In addition, the increase in blood pressure can also be caused by fat stored near important organs in the stomach.

Retroperitoneal fat , the type of fat found around the kidneys and adrenal glands, can affect how the kidneys work. Given that the kidney is one of the organs that plays a role in regulating blood pressure, it is not impossible that the kidney's work will be affected, causing an increase in blood pressure.

3. Diabetes

A distended stomach is one of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus. Abdominal fat can secrete a protein compound called retinol-binding 4 (RBP4), which plays a role in insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is the beginning of diabetes, in which our body cells cannot respond to insulin properly so that blood sugar levels increase.

4. Heart disease and stroke

Belly fat secretes compounds called cytokines. Cytokines play a role in heart disease and other diseases related to inflammation. When your body becomes inflamed, the liver produces cholesterol and other toxins that can form plaque in the arteries.

Increased blood fats such as cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides are risk factors for heart disease and stroke.

5. Dementia

Research suggests that people with distended stomachs are more likely to develop dementia, aka dementia, than those whose stomachs are not distended. A study conducted by the Department of Cardiology at Oita Red Cross Hospital in Japan stated that there were abnormal changes in hippocampus volume and insulin resistance in those with high levels of abdominal fat and suffering from diabetes.

In addition, as quoted from WebMD, Sudha Seshadri, an assistant professor of neurology at Boston University School of Medicine, said that the more fat accumulates in the stomach, the smaller the brain volume will be. Small brain volume is associated with poor cognitive abilities and a risk of dementia later in life.

Measure waist circumference to determine the risk of obesity

Central obesity, aka abdominal obesity, or better known as a distended stomach, is a collection of excess fat in the abdominal area (abdominal). One way to estimate whether you have a distended stomach or not is to measure your waist circumference.

The ideal waist size for woman is less than 80 cm, whereas for male is not more than 90 cm. If the measurement of your waist circumference is more than this number, then you may have a distended stomach or central obesity.

You can also measure the circumference of the waist with 4 hand inches. The trick, stand up straight and breathe as usual. Then measure your waistline parallel to your navel using your hand span, starting from the front or back. If your waist circumference exceeds 4 inches, then you are probably in the central obesity category.

However, measuring waist circumference using a measuring tape is considered more optimal than using an arm span. The reason is, the size of each person's hand is different, so it is likely that it will give different results.

What to do to shrink a distended stomach

Based on the explanation described above, it is known that a distended stomach is not a good sign for the body. Even if not addressed immediately, a distended stomach can increase your risk of developing various chronic diseases later in life.

Maintaining a healthy body shape and according to the criteria is not easy, but that doesn't mean you are impossible to do it. It takes dedication, discipline, and a lot of endurance for you to achieve it. Here are some simple things you can do to reduce a distended stomach:

1. Regular exercise

The key to success in reducing a distended stomach is to actively move and exercise regularly. The reason is, visceral fat will come when you are lazy, aka lazy to move. So from now on try to exercise at least 30 minutes a day. You don't need to do high-intensity sports, just start from light to moderate sports such as walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, or aerobic exercise.

Do it regularly because these activities can help you control your weight, increase your heart rate, and slow down the appearance of visceral fat in your stomach. If your current weight is within normal limits, then your exercise goal is no longer to lose weight but to gain muscle mass. Muscle cells burn more fat than other body cells, so if you have high muscle mass, you will burn more calories everyday and reduce the pile of fat on your stomach.

2. Pay attention to daily food intake

Paying attention to daily food intake is not only useful for weight loss, but also helps reduce a distended stomach. You must pay attention to the portions of food and the intake of nutrients from the food you consume. Foods that are recommended to be consumed to reduce belly fat are foods that are high and contain protein, and limit carbohydrate intake.

Hairston's research shows that people who consume 10 grams of fiber per day (such as one small apple, or a cup of green beans) can prevent visceral fat in the stomach.

3. Make sure you get enough sleep

Again, sleep is beneficial for health, including efforts to shrink your stomach. According to a study it is known that people who sleep enough, i.e. six to seven hours per day, get less visceral fat than people who sleep less than five hours per day. So, make sure you get enough sleep every night, huh.

4. Avoid stress

Apart from getting enough sleep, it is important for you to avoid yourself from stress. The reason is, managing stress without you knowing it can help reduce a distended stomach. Try relaxing with family or friends, meditating, exercising, traveling, or doing things you enjoy to keep you happy and avoid stress.

5. Increase the consumption of fluids

Have you ever woken up with an enlarged stomach compared to before? This can happen if you ate too much the night before. If this happens, try to consume more fluids, such as soups, juices, or smoothies at breakfast.

Drinking fluids before eating can make you feel full faster, thereby preventing you from overeating. In addition, adequate fluid intake will also help improve your digestion.