A wellness expert turned author whittles down the causes that lead to fat deposition and suggests some simple, realistic remedies It's been described by various names: middle aged spread, dumbbell roll, muffin top and the more prosaic tummy fat. But to me, the most evocative symbol of unwanted weight gain is the jelly belly. Imagine you have just come back home from a nice dinner with friends and are getting ready for bed. You unsnap the button of your stretch jeans, roll down the zipper and out pops your belly, all aquiver. This is jelly belly which afflicts a lot of us in our late 20s, 30s and 40s, not only us chubby ones but sometimes even those of us who are slim or skinny. Jelly bellies are the most obvious indications of problematic and unwanted fat depositions in one's body. What makes their appearance worse is the fact that they are sometimes generously peppered with stretch marks. Very often, they have an overhang where tonelessly the fat flaps and flops over the lower abdomen and balloons up when you lie down.
The other area where fat deposits is the famous bobbly double chin. But the difference is that whereas the cause of double chins are almost always genetic and their effect is purely aesthetic, jelly bellies can have serious health implications and hence warrant a closer look.
WHY DOES ONE GET A JELLY BELLY?
There are many reasons for it. The most obvious ones are, of course, eating the wrong type of food coupled with a total lack of exercise.
Jelly belly does not begin in the mid-30s, but becomes most evident at this age. Of course, if you are pregnant, you will have a growing big belly, but that is a reason for joy, not a cause for concern and this section does not apply to you.By 30, your primary female hormone production -oestrogen and progesterone -begin to slow down promoting fat deposition in certain localised areas like the belly, chin and upper arms. Also there is an imbalance between the two hormones. This is because fat cells produce oestrogen which now your body craves. This is also because fat cells contain an enzyme called aromatase, an enzyme required for biosynthesis of oestrogen.
Other than hormonal imbalances, once you touch forty, you could develop a condition called insulin resistance.Insulin is a hormone produced in our bodies which helps in digestion by breaking down the carbohydrates we eat into digestible sugars, most importantly, glucose. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas.It helps cells absorb glucose (sugar) from the blood to use as energy. Your body digests foods that contain carbohydrates and releases them as glucose into your blood. Insulin, which is released when you eat, helps the body maintain a healthy level of circulating glucose by allowing glucose from the blood to go into the cells. This lowers blood sugar, and the cells use the glucose for energy.
Another condition which has a jelly belly as an integral component is the much debated metabolic syndrome. This is a combination of five factors: abdominal fat (waist measurement greater than 35 inches), increased cholesterol or taking cholesterol medication, high blood pressure or on blood pressure medication and high blood sugar or on blood sugar medication. Metabolic syndrome itself is considered to indicate hormonal imbalance, an increase in oestrogen and cholesterol, and an increase in androgens in women -all of which predispose a woman to deposit fat on the belly, or become apple shaped.
Deficiency of the thyroxin hormone produced by the thyroid gland could be yet another reason why women tend to gain weight around their waists. It is accompanied by lethargy, a feeling of tiredness and an inability to tolerate cold temperatures. This can be easily detected by a physician with a simple blood test.
If one were to look at the causes mentioned above, it will be obvious that they are all interlinked. The good news is that remedial measures that help in tackling one of them can also control some of the other causal factors.
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