Fat accumulation around the abdomen and waist is genetically android, meaning male-pattern fat accumulation.
Fat accumulation in this area suggests health problems such as metabolic syndrome, dyslipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, and type 2 diabetes. Genetic factors, age, nutrition, and exercise habits are among the causes of waist fat accumulation.
Waist fat accumulation in men is a very common condition, especially in the 30-50 age range. In fact, men rank higher than women in terms of waist fat accumulation. As most of us age, dreaming of having super abdominal muscles, the ‘spare tire’ around our waist begins to grow. We always promise to start a new and very strict exercise program and avoid fatty foods, but most of these promises are broken after 2-3 months with gradually decreasing exercises and high-calorie meals.
Of course, consuming foods high in sugar and fat increases fat accumulation in the abdominal and waist area, but they are not the only culprits; excessive calorie intake from any food will affect waist fat.
It is necessary to investigate whether underlying health problems such as insulin resistance, excess cortisol, hypothyroidism, or Cushing’s syndrome (overactive adrenal hormones) contribute to abdominal fat accumulation.
Menopause is also a period when fat accumulation physiologically increases and is triggered in the body. Inactivity and the resulting decrease in energy expenditure, as well as excessive alcohol consumption, also increase waist fat. Chronic stress is one of the most significant causes of waist fat accumulation.
If you are accumulating fat around your waist despite consuming the same calories and eating almost the same foods as before, this is related to a lack of physical activity and aging. As our bodies age, muscle loss occurs in those who do not follow a specific exercise program and have low physical activity. A system that loses muscle slows down our metabolism, reducing daily calorie expenditure. This means that even if you consume the same calories, your body may not burn the same amount of calories as it did 5 years ago.
The most important fact to know is that fat formed in the body and fat consumed are different things. Body fat increases and is stored around the waist not only from consuming fat and fatty foods but also from excessive consumption of carbohydrate and protein-rich foods such as pastries like simit and börek, soft drinks, biscuits, chips, wafers, sweets, ready-made broths, and salad dressings.
In fact, you can first observe your daily expenditure by getting a pedometer. Studies show that a person should take 8,000-10,000 steps a day. The most practical way to understand whether you are very active or inactive is to get a pedometer, track yourself, and gradually increase your step count to expend more energy; this is the biggest step you can take.
Exercise is one of the most important parameters that reduce overall fat accumulation in the body. Especially walking or swimming are two forms of exercise that reduce both regional and general fat accumulation. Performing brisk, continuous activity for 35-45 minutes, 4 times a week, reduces fat. High-intensity activity that makes you sweat more cannot go beyond reducing your muscle mass. Individuals with chronic diseases such as rheumatism, heart problems, hypertension, and diabetes should exercise under the supervision and recommendations of their physicians. Dieting alone, or reducing food intake, will not reduce your fat; the body will enter a starvation mode and prevent weight loss. Therefore, you can reduce abdominal fat accumulation by simultaneously implementing both exercise and a healthy diet program.
On the other hand, getting rid of waist and abdominal fat is more difficult than getting rid of fat in other areas. As dieters often complain, belly and waist fat are the last fat reserves to be burned; in addition to diet, exercise is almost a prerequisite for them to slim down and get in shape.
Many devices and methods in aesthetic surgery and non-surgical aesthetics have been developed to get rid of fat deposits in the abdominal and waist area.
Undoubtedly, the most effective of these methods is Liposuction. In liposuction operations performed with the newly developed Vaser Liposelection method, since the fat in the body is melted and removed, much less damage is done to the surrounding tissues, and it is possible to achieve both slimming and a tightening and firming effect on the body. With this method, post-application complaints such as edema and bruising are minimized, and it is possible to return to social life immediately after 4 days.
Non-surgical aesthetic applications include CoolSculpting – Zeltiq method, which aims to destroy fat cells by freezing them; Slim-Up, Vela, Endermolab, which aim for a 1-2 size reduction; and Thermage Body applications to provide tension and tightening in the area.
These methods are not only used for regional fat accumulation problems in women and men above a certain age; they can be safely used in much younger individuals with asymmetrical bodies or those genetically prone to gaining weight in these areas. Anyone over 18 years old, who has completed their physical development, and has no health problems preventing these methods as determined by their doctors, can get rid of regional fat and thick waistlines through these methods. However, since no non-surgical solution provides permanent results like Vaser Liposuction, applications may need to be repeated once a year and supported by diet or exercise.
