Where does your FAT go?

2 FACTORS THAT DETERMINE WHERE YOU GAIN WEIGHT

Some parts of the body accumulate more fat than others. We don’t determine where and how our body stores fat – weight gain is dependent on factors like gender, weight, height, genetics and the number of adipocytes (fat cells) located in certain parts of the body.

Men and women store fat in different ways – this is probably why we also gain or lose weight differently. Factors like stress, age, genetics, hormonal balance and lifestyle also determine how much fat is stored in the body. Have you ever wondered why some people gain weight in their stomach while others accumulate fat in their thighs? Well, you’re about to find out why. Here’s how, where and why your body stores fat in the way it does.

• Gender And Activity

Men and women have different body shapes because of the existence of testosterone and estrogen, the dominant sex hormones in males and females. In general, women are likely to have a larger percentage of total body fat – at least 7-10% more than men. Women are also likely to accumulate more fat in their “gluteal-femoral” region (also called hips and thighs), while men usually have visceral fat (also called belly fat) and tend to store fat in their abdomen.

Testosterone largely determines how much body fat or muscle mass a man can have. As men grow old, their testosterone levels start to decrease – at this point, most of them begin to develop beer bellies. In women, estrogen determines body weight and regulates metabolism. As women grow older and go through menopause, estrogen levels start to drop; metabolism consequently slows down and it becomes much more difficult to maintain weight.

Overall, both men and women grow sluggish during old age – they become less active and unable to engage in some high-intensity exercises. Due to their inability to work out regularly, their muscle mass decreases and they start gaining weight.

• Insulin

Insulin is a type of hormone that helps reduce blood sugar and regulate fat in the body. It is usually released into our body after we eat. Insulin carries glucose from the blood into the muscle, fat and liver cells where it is reserved as glycogen and later used as energy. Nonetheless, the body can only accept a certain amount of glycogen; once that limit has been reached, it switches to fat storage. That is to say, insulin determines whether or not glucose gets reserved as fat. If we reduce the amount of sugar and refined carbohydrates we consume, we decrease our chances of filling up our glycogen reserves and needing to stock up our fat reserves, leading to less fat storage in the body.

How To Drop Some Pounds And Keep Them Off For Good

Instead of trying to lose weight in certain parts of your body, form healthy habits that give your body the chance to reach a shape and weight that’s great and healthy for you. Consider normalizing the following habits:

• Eat different kinds of food
• Consume more of fresh veggies, whole foods, fruits, healthy data, lean proteins and complex carbs.
• Exercise regularly (at least 150 minutes every week)
• Manage stress properly
• Sleep adequately

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