Is your belly too big?

The abdomen is the part of the body that many women have more or less reservations about. Most women find a protruding belly unattractive. They consider a silhouette in which the hips are clearly wider than the waist to be the preferred shape.

Excerpt from the book «Flat belly. Diet and Exercise »by Agata Lewandowska in cooperation with Joanna Zając-Borowiecka, courtesy of the RM Publishing House

What determines the size and shape of the belly?

The belly is the center of our body. A place where vital organs are located and where a child can safely grow up.

Excessive abdominal fat is more common in men (beer belly or apple shape) because their physiology facilitates the accumulation of fat in this area. In women, theoretically, fat is usually deposited on the thighs and buttocks (this type of figure is called a pear), but many people gain weight evenly in all parts of the body, and more and more often (e.g. due to hormonal disorders) are abdominal obesity, which is very harmful. for one’s health.

So what does the size and shape of the belly depend on?

First, physical activity. Depending on the type and intensity of exercise, the abdomen may take different shapes; inactivity is usually associated with a worse shape).

Second, on your lifestyle and weight. If we are overweight, most of the time our stomach does not look as we would like it; A sedentary lifestyle and frequent being in a hunched position are also not good for our figure.

Third, genes. Look at your parents, grandparents, your and your parents’ siblings – body composition and the tendency to accumulate fat in certain places are genetically determined.

And fourth, health problems. Intestinal diseases can cause troublesome and unsightly gas. Diseases such as insulin resistance, hypothyroidism and polycystic ovary syndrome usually promote weight gain. Chronic use of e.g. corticosteroids causes the accumulation of fatty tissue.

The tendency to gain weight – the bane of many people! The tendency to gain weight is also related to the amount of fat cells in the body. When we lose weight – cells empty but do not disappear. Later, they are ready to be refilled at any time with reserve material, i.e. fat. Their number is constant throughout our lives, except when we develop really severe obesity – then there may be more of them!

How much influence do we have on the final shape of the belly?

How we look (apart from how we care for our body) is largely a work of nature. Even if your diet is close to the ideal, and your training is carefully planned and carried out regularly, you may not achieve the results you expect. Not every woman is born with a predisposition to have a narrow waist like a wasp. Not everyone will also look like a retouched model who, before publishing a photo on her social profile, stands at different angles and in different light for two hours to make her figure look as good as possible.

Of course, diet and exercise can help you discover your best version of yourself, but it won’t make your legs longer, strip you of your lower ribs, or make you something completely different.

Take a look at famous female athletes. They train without interruption, take part in exhausting competitions, are under the care of specialists in medicine, sports and dietetics. Does each have a perfect waistline? Does each have a perfectly flat stomach in proportion to rounded hips and full breasts? Exactly. The same goes for the gentlemen. Some have a more proportional body, others less. They can follow a diet and train hard, but still don’t look like models.

So what to do? Accept who you are and like yourself. I know it’s not easy, but it’s worth the effort. Improve what you can with a healthy diet and properly selected training, but do not force yourself and do not set yourself unrealistic goals. Take care of your body to keep it strong and healthy. Emphasize your strengths and hide your flaws. Don’t be stressed forever about the way you look. This is the best you can do for yourself.

Is your belly too big?

How you perceive the appearance of your belly is very subjective. This is influenced by your history (including, for example, weight changes over time), your preferences and body structure (with a full breast and wide hips, the abdomen usually feels smaller, and vice versa – with a small breasts or narrow hips, even a normal abdomen may seem protruding) ).

There are various indicators that help us find out if the abdominal and waist circumference is correct. Start by taking a simple tape measure.

Waist circumference measurement – place the ruler in the middle of the distance between the lowest part of the costal arch and the highest point of the hip bone. We do not pull our stomach in, we do not slouch or twist our torso. This is usually the narrowest part of the torso.

Hip circumference measurement – place the tape measure on the greatest bulge of the buttocks below the hip plates. This is usually just the widest point of the hips.

Waist measurements are unfortunately flawed. It is best to measure your waist in the morning, without clothes on, before the first meal. Stand straight in front of the mirror, don’t pull your stomach in. Make sure you place the tape measure correctly, do not squeeze it or loosen it excessively.

Use the toilet before taking the measurement. Make sure your belly is not bloated (e.g. after a heavy meal yesterday). If you are a woman – rather skip the measurements 5-8 days before menstruation – the body of many women then stores water, and the abdomen swells slightly.

Now divide the waist circumference by the hip circumference. You will then get the value of the so-called WHR. Example: Hanna has a waist of 80 cm and a hips of 96 cm. Her WHR is 0,83.

We refer to abdominal obesity when the WHR exceeds 0,8-0,85 in women and 1 in men.

Yet another method of body assessment is the WHtR index, i.e. the ratio of waist circumference to height. For example: if Hanna, who is 80 cm waist, is 160 cm tall, then her WHtR is 0,5 and she is on the border of normal.

The WHtR is normal when it is less than 0,5.

Of course, the above indicators are quite general and do not reflect the full picture of the situation. It happens that the waist is quite slim, but below it there is a substantial and not very aesthetic band.

These indicators are primarily used to classify people in terms of possible health risks resulting from abdominal obesity. Aesthetics and acceptance of your own body is a completely separate matter. It is assumed that the WHR index corresponding to the female figure perceived as ideal is 0,7–0,75. However, remember that it all depends on your body build. If nature has endowed you with narrow hips, then even the flattest belly will not allow you to get such value.

The most accurate measurements can be made during a professional body composition analysis in a dietitian’s office or in some fitness clubs. Using special equipment, you will assess the content of adipose tissue and the degree of abdominal fat. More modern machines can even estimate the number of kilograms of adipose tissue located around the abdomen and torso.

Is obesity your problem? Perform a diagnostic test package and get professional help.

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