Racing With a Beer-Belly

The Secret Formula
Every single person on the face of this planet has the ability to lose that spare tire. It doesn't take special genes or genetic makeup to be "thin." The good news is that there is no secret formula. The bad news is, well, that there is no secret formula.

"There is no magic bullet, diet plan, specific food, or type of exercise that specifically targets belly fat. But the good news is belly fat is the first kind of fat you tend to lose when you lose weight," says Michael Jensen, MD, a Mayo Clinic endocrinology specialist and obesity researcher.

In general, your body shape is a reflection of both your genes and your lifestyle. Different people put on fat in different places. Some people just naturally carry weight in their midsections (an apple shape) while others are more bottom-heavy (a pear shape). However, no matter what your body type , when you lose weight, you'll most likely lose proportionately more from the abdominal region than elsewhere.

"Ninety-nine percent of people who lose weight will lose it in the abdominal region before anywhere else -- and will lose proportionately more weight from the upper body," says Jensen.

"Visceral fat, the kind tucked deep inside your waistline, is more metabolically active and easier to lose than subcutaneous fat under the skin, especially if you have plenty of it," explains Penn State researcher Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD.

And the more weight you have to lose, the more quickly you're likely to start losing your belly fat, experts say.

Can Certain Foods Help Reduce the Pudge?
A recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a calorie-controlled diet rich in whole grains trimmed extra fat from the waistline of obese subjects.

List of Whole Grains

Amaranth, Barley, Buckwheat, Corn (including whole cornmeal and popcorn), Millet, Oats (including oatmeal), Quinoa, Rice (both brown rice and colored rice), Rye, Sorghum (also called milo), Teff, Triticale, Wheat (including varieties such as spelt, emmer, farro, einkorn, Kamut, durum and forms such as bulgur, cracked wheat and wheatberries), and Wild rice

"Eating a diet rich in whole grains while reducing refined carbohydrates changes the glucose and insulin response and makes it easier to mobilize fat stores. Visceral fat is more metabolically active and easier to lose than subcutaneous fat, especially if you have plenty of it and the right conditions are met, such as the ones in our study," says Kris-Etherton.

When you eat refined foods like white bread, it triggers a series of events, starting with elevated blood sugar levels followed by an increased insulin response, which can cause fat to be deposited more readily. But eating a diet rich in whole grains (which also tend to be higher in fiber) helps improve insulin sensitivity. This, in turn helps the body more efficiently use blood glucose, lowers blood glucose levels, and reduces fat deposition.

What about eating monounsaturated fats? A recent diet book called, The Flat Belly Diet postulates the idea that you can lose belly fat by eating a 1,600-calorie diet rich in monounsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated Fats

Most foods contain a combination of different fats. Examples of foods high in monounsaturated fats include vegetable oils such as olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil and sesame oil. Other sources include avocados, peanut butter, and many nuts and seeds.

This only goes to figure since most people will lose weight on a 1,600-calorie diet. And there is little question that when it comes to choosing fats, the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAS) found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, soybeans, chocolate, olive and canola oils are among the best choices, with proven health benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart disease.

But these are not magic foods capable of targeting belly fat. While the MUFAS are healthy fats, they are still fats, with nine calories per gram (the same as Trans and Saturated fats) -- more than twice that of carbohydrates and proteins, which have four calories per gram.

The Dangers of a Fat Gut

Why is it important to lose belly fat? Carrying around extra pounds in your midsection is serious business. Extra weight in your midsection is more dangerous than fat around your hips and thighs, as visceral fat is worse for your health than the subcutaneous fat that sits under the skin.

"Extra weight around the midsection is associated with inflammation and a higher risk of health problems such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and more," Jensen says. According to a recent study in Circulation, belly fat appears to boost inflammation and is linked to hardening of the arteries.

Here is another fact: people with large bellies tend to lose sensitivity to insulin, a crucial hormone that helps the body burn energy. When insulin loses its power, the body responds by pumping out more of the hormone, which only throws the system further off balance.

As a result, people with extra belly fat are vulnerable to a whole cascade of problems known as insulin resistance syndrome or metabolic syndrome . The syndrome -- which is estimated to affect over 50 million Americans -- comes with a frightening array of potential complications. For one thing, people with insulin resistance often develop type 2 diabetes. They also tend to have high blood pressure and too much bad cholesterol, a recipe for heart disease, according to numerous studies.

Don't start worrying, though, if you only have "love handles" -- those are composed of fat near the surface of the skin. It's the visceral fat that wraps around organs deeper in the abdomen that appears to be metabolically active.

The Bottom Line
Most scientific evidence suggests that a calorie-controlled diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, beans, nuts, seeds, lean meat, fish, eggs, and poultry is the foundation for a diet that provides all the nutrients you need while helping to whittle your waistline. The real secret to losing belly fat is to lose weight on a balanced, calorie-controlled diet and exercise at least an hour a day. A perfectly flat stomach may not be within your reach, but a healthier body certainly is. You can thank me on the podium after your next big win!