Why is Belly Fat Different Than Other Types of Fats?
Belly fat is metabolically different, and it is very hard to get the weight back off when we gain fat in this area. Belly fat also increases your risk for cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, stroke, and dementia because belly fat can store extra hormones (we will circle back to this with chin hair) and can trigger inflammatory factors. As belly fat increases, symptoms of menopause can be exacerbated, including hot flashes and mood disorders.
Why are Belly Fat and Chin Hair Connected?
Belly fat is unique from other types of fats on the body in that belly fat has the ability to store prohormones. Prohormones are then converted into hormones that look like testosterone. Extra testosterone stimulates increased hair growth in areas like your chin, lip, face, belly, and even chest. The tricky part about chin hair is that once this process starts, it can be hard to stop (hair cells cannot be “turned off”).
5 Tips To Help You on Your Weight-Loss Journey
The good news is that you can take steps to stop new hair cells from being activated and combat increasing body fat.
- Become familiar with the glycemic index and where foods fall along the glycemic scale. The higher the number on the scale, the more likely your body will turn that particular food into belly fat.
- Take small servings of complex (low glycemic) carbs throughout the day to stabilize your blood sugar.
- Limit simple (high glycemic) carbs toward the end of the day. Dinner should be a protein and vegetable combination.
- Incorporate low glycemic recipes into your diet.
- Maintain muscle mass or lean body weight through strength training and exercise.
At true. Women’s Health, our Certified Menopause Practitioners have extra training in how hormones affect your health, and we can help you with all your questions about belly fat, chin hair, and more!
