Office workers eat less and exercise more and still have belly fat

“Office work requires me to sit a lot, making my belly and waist very big and I can’t lose it,” Han shared, saying she tried dieting and exercising in many ways but only lost weight while the belly fat remained “stubborn”. stupid”. It took too much time and effort but the results were not as expected, making Han discouraged and wanted to give up. Gradually, Han often lost sleep, became irritable, had acne and dull skin, and unexpectedly went to the hospital for examination to discover a series of health problems including fatty blood, hyperglycemia, and hyperuricemia.

The doctor said Han’s visceral fat percentage was high despite her normal BMI. In addition, Han has little muscle, which over time causes metabolic syndrome, lots of belly fat, increased fasting blood sugar, and increased blood pressure. That is a risk premise for some cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer… if no improvement measures are taken.

The girl was guided through her diet and designed a comprehensive exercise plan combined with a muscle-building exercise plan. The doctor asked to reduce sitting time and walk more during the day to improve belly fat accumulation.

Abdominal obesity can be divided into 3 main forms based on the location of fat accumulation including total, upper and lower abdominal obesity. In particular, fat accumulation in the lower abdomen, the area from the navel down, is a common form of abdominal obesity in people with a sedentary lifestyle, especially office workers. A bulging lower abdomen causes a feeling of heaviness and pressure on the spine and back, leading to the risk of chronic pain. Lower abdominal obesity is also a sign of impaired blood circulation and long-term fat accumulation, especially in people who have the habit of sitting for many hours continuously.

Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, Head of the Department of Digestive Surgery, Central Military Hospital 108, said the cause of belly fat can be genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors, including lack of physical activity, unhealthy diet (fasting, skipping meals, lack of protein, especially eating a lot of ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks), smoking, drinking alcohol.

In office workers, the habit of sitting a lot leads to unused calories being converted into stored energy in the form of fat and fat cells. Office workers often eat lunch right at their desk, and can eat while doing their own work. Distracted eating causes people to eat more because they don’t feel full.

Besides, stress is also an important cause of fat accumulation around the abdomen, even in people who eat and exercise healthily. Prolonged stress causes the body to produce cortisol – a hormone that encourages the body to cling to fat around the abdomen, causing the abdomen to “suddenly” increase in size. Stress can lead to insomnia, disrupting the production of leptin, the hormone that helps regulate appetite and metabolism. This stimulates eating more when tired, easily craves and eats a lot of sweets and fats.

According to Associate Professor Tuan, belly fat not only affects appearance but also brings many serious health risks. Visceral fat accumulates around vital organs increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. According to research at the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), people with total belly fat are twice as likely to develop heart disease as people without belly fat. This makes total abdominal obesity one of the main risk factors for death from cardiovascular disease.

Belly fat, especially visceral fat, can increase the risk of insulin resistance, leading to type 2 diabetes. People with belly fat are also susceptible to problems such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, increasing the risk of atherosclerosis. Arteries and other vascular diseases.

Some warning signs that the body’s metabolism is not good, such as increased blood uric acid and susceptibility to infection. This is the premise that leads to dangerous diseases. Many cases are severe or become chronic, requiring lifelong medication, and quality of life cannot be restored.

To quickly reduce belly fat and increase muscle mass, experts recommend working with a nutritionist or trainer to develop personalized eating and exercise instructions.

Some general principles, including limiting ultra-processed foods (usually have at least 5 ingredients: sugar, cooking oil, fat, salt, antioxidants, stabilizers, preservatives). Limit sugar and sugary drinks, starch is quickly absorbed. Diet supplemented with enough protein (1 g/kg body weight/day), along with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Stop the habit of doing your own thing while eating, eat slowly and chew thoroughly, drink plenty of water to reduce cravings. Replace fast foods with fruits and nuts. In particular, the combination of yogurt and fruit is a very good snack that helps the digestive system work effectively, stimulates energy burning, and reduces the risk of belly fat.

Active lifestyle, reduce sitting time, aim for at least 5,000-7,000 steps/day. Exercising at least 30-45 minutes a day using resistance exercises helps increase muscle mass.

It is necessary to change working posture regularly so that the abdominal muscles are active to avoid fat accumulating in one place, causing belly fat. Sitting with a straight and comfortable back not only helps avoid scoliosis but also helps you have a standard “bee back”.

Learn how to effectively manage stress and improve sleep quality, help reduce cravings for unhealthy foods, as well as increase the rate of muscle biosynthesis and reduce insulin resistance.