Struggling With Stubborn Belly Fat?

Did you know that stress can cause the belly to look larger? I know that when I'm stressed, mine immediately starts to look rounder. The problem is that you can then get annoyed with it and inadvertently hold on to it for longer!

- REBECCA BISSET

According to DR IVAN PUAH, Medical Director at Amaris B. Clinic, "higher stress levels, in general, can lead to excess fat around the abdominal organs - sometimes known as a 'stress belly"." He adds that this is often the hardest type of fat to get rid of.

Research says that stress can also lead to decreased fat oxidation, which allows fat to be burnt as energy. This means you don't necessarily have to consume more food or burn less energy to put weight on.

4 different belly types

There are other causes of having a bigger belly than you might like; perhaps you have a post-baby tummy that's taking much longer than you thought it would to shift; or maybe a few too many alcoholic drinks are causing bloating and weight gain in that area.

#1 Stress belly

If you're stressed, you'll have higher levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, which gets the body to store fat. If your body stores more in the abdomen, this area is usually the hardest to eliminate. As we've mentioned, stress can also cause a decrease in fat oxidation - how fat is burnt as energy. So you might find that you're not eating much, but the fat still isn't going away!

#2 Mummy belly

It's normal not to go straight back to the body you had before, but it can be annoying - especially not being able to fit into your clothes! A "mummy tummy" describes a tummy that is flabby with two areas of fat on either side of your belly button.

#3 Alcohol belly