Fat Thighs and Beer Bellies:
Why Do We Only Fatten in Certain Areas?

Fat thighs are notoriously difficult to get rid of, as are beer bellies. But why? Why are some areas on our bodies more predisposed to accumulate extra fat tissue than others? Why don't we collect fat on our backs first, for instance? Why double chins and chubby cheeks instead of swollen foreheads and extremely puffy lips?

KEY POINT: The Caloric Balance Hypothesis tells us that the "how, when, where, and why" of fat accumulation is regulated solely and entirely by the number of calories we take in and burn off.

The Caloric Balance Hypothesis -- the mainstream theory about why people become obese -- tells us nothing about why we get fat thighs and beer bellies.

This may sound radical. But the logic of the hypothesis compels us to adopt this stance. It explicitly tells us that calorie balance "controls" our fat tissue. (The right side of the energy balance equation is "in charge.")

So there's no getting around this conclusion. You can't invoke the "quality" of the calories we eat. You can't invoke hormones, genetics, or anything else physiological to explain beer bellies or double chins. It's just the number of calories, pure and simple.