Belly Fat Causes: Two Radically Different Hypotheses, Two Very Different Solutions
Belly fat causes and solutions must ultimately derive from the First Law of Thermodynamics, which states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed. This rule is true for the human body. So the energy entering your body must equal the energy coming out of it. Hence, we get the following equation, known as the Energy Balance Equation: Energy Stored = Calories In - Calories Out To identify belly fat causes and solutions, you must justify them vis-à-vis this equation. Otherwise, you will be violating Laws of Thermodynamics. There are two ways to look at this equation. One way is the conventional view, called the Caloric Balance Hypothesis. This says that changes in calories cause changes in energy balance: Energy Stored ← Calories In - Calories Out The other way to look at it is the Lipophilia Hypothesis: Energy Stored → Calories In - Calories Out
Belly fat causes and solutions, according to our two hypotheses | Caloric Balance Hypothesis | Lipophilia Hypothesis | |
| Belly Fat Causes | - Too many Calories In
- Too few Calories Out
| - Excessive insulin production (driven by carbohydrates and other dietary and non-dietary factors)
- Excessive activity of the enzyme lipoprotein lipase (LPL)
- Genetic predispositions to store fat in the belly area
- Any other factor that disturbs the balance of hormones and enzymes in the body
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| Belly Fat Solutions | - Burn off more calories (more Calories Out)
- Eat less (fewer Calories In)
| - Identify true belly fat causes (most typically excessive carbohydrate and sugar consumption, which drives excessive insulin production) and remedy them.
- Possible remedies include:
- a low carbohydrate diet
- medication changes (some medications appear to induce hyperinsulinemia)
- stress reduction (too much stress hormone can adversely impact insulin levels)
- more sleep (sleeplessness can also have a bad impact on insulin levels)
- certain medications like Metformin (Glucophage) seem to be able to act directly on insulin and thus fix belly fat problems in some people.
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Obviously, you should explore belly fat causes and solutions with your physician. But you and your doctor might want to go over these two competing explanations about belly fat causes, so you can make a more informed decision about how to proceed. Return to our Low Carb and Loving It essay collection Return to our Home Page on Low Carbohydrate Diets
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