Why Fat Accumulates in Your Belly and Buttocks

It’s a relatively complex metabolic procedure, simply put, your body stores fat within specific cells that stay small when you’re thin but plump up when you eat more calories than you need.

Not all fat in the body is the similar, so we separate it based on the type and location it’s found. The types of fat are:

• Brown fat, which consists a fairly small percentage of your fat stores, approximately 2-3 ounces per every 20-30 pounds of fat.
• White fat, which is by far the most plentiful type in your body.

Subcutaneous fat lies below your skin’s surface; it is the pinchable fat that you can hold as love handles or upper arm fat.

Visceral fat on the other hand is found deep within your abdomen, where it wraps itself around your organs. According to scientific research, this type of fat is specifically harmful, and has been associated to a greater possibility of acquiring heart disease, diabetes and other concerning health issues.

Not all fat is bad

The purpose of white fat is to provide energy to your body whenever need arises, such as when you feel hungry. It similarly creates hormones that are sent into your bloodstream to complete different jobs.

For example, fat cells that aren’t too plump produce secrete adiponectin. This hormone aids proper use of insulin by your liver and muscles, which greatly reduces your chances of developing diabetes. Those who are healthy have subcutaneous fat, a thin layer of padding found in most parts of your body. It aids in keeping the skin on your hands from looking dry and withered as well as maintaining your baby face.

Brown fat is not useless to adults; it acts more like muscle than fat and essentially burns white fat when activated. To keep warm, toddlers have more brown fat than elderly people. In a bid to contain the ever increasing obesity numbers, scientists are researching on ways to activate the brown fat we once ignored.

Today mommy makeover procedures such as liposuction have been used to get rid of the fat in new moms.

Why your belly or buttocks expand

When it comes to fat accumulation, hormones dictate everything. Testosterone stimulates the growth of belly fat in men, the visceral type that is known to be risky to your health. Drop in testosterone that may come about with growing old often results in a pot. A high level of testosterone, usually noticeable among young men aged below 35 year, keeps these visceral fat cells from expanding.