Most people will at sometime in their life have a visible amount of excess stomach fat around their stomach area. This is very common and usually becomes a greater issue as you get older and your metabolism slows down from where it once was. Lessened activity in our modern world also plays a big factor as well. People don't move like they used to as things have become more convientent, food so abundant, and travel is so much easier. With that said, you shouldn't curse modern lifestyle, but rather take the initiative and get control of your own life and body.

For more details, look here for Causes of Stomach Fat.

What Causes Stomach Fat?

Over Eating
Let's face it. This is the primary cause of stomach fat on your body. Most people don't want to admit that it is this simple. They would rather try and look for a reason that is out of their control so that they have an excuse not to change their comfortable lifestyle. But over eating is common, easy to do, and prevents you from getting the flat stomach that you want.

Learn more about this on the Over Eating page.

Metabolism
This can be one of the causes of stomach fat. We all know those people who can eat as much as they want and never visibly gain any weight. We hate these people. But let's not focus on the negative and what we don't have. Instead, let's focus on solutions. These people are gifted with incredibly fast metabolisms that work overtime to burn any extra food that they consume. Most people are not this way however, and we must be responsible for what it is we eat. Your metabolism fluctuates throughout your entire life. Generally it is faster when you are younger and slows with age. Keep in mind that your metabolism may not be exactly what it used to be, so that may mean that you have to adjust what you eat.

Inactivity
Inactivity can be a big part of gaining weight and a cause of stomach fat. If you just sit around all day and do only limited movements, then you are prone to first, eat more, but also to not burn as much energy as you should in a day. Increased activity will get your heart rate accellerated and thereby burn more energy. So get out there and DO something.

Stress
When people are stressed they often turn to food for comfort, even without realizing it. They just feel constantly under pressure so they start eating because it calms their nerves. Stress can also throw your bodies natural fat burning process off because you constantly have extra hormones raging and chemicals released in your body.

Bloating
Stomach bloating can be defined as any unusual swelling, or increase in size of the abdominal area. A person will feel a full and tight abdomen, which may cause abdominal pain. It is an unatural effect that can occur in the body and is often brought on by a sensitivite to different kinds of food. Food intolerance is the main cause of stomach bloating. A wide variety of people are sensetivities to dairy, yeast, gluten, or sugar. If you experience stomach bloating, start cutting things out of your diet until you narrow down which is causing you the problem.

Digestion
Improper digestion can be a common cause of excess stomach fat. You may not technically eat more than you should, but your body can have trouble digesting your food properly and it will start storing digested food irregularily and in places that it shouldn't. You can help your overall digestive ability by drinking plenty of water through the day. This will make your digestion smoother and less troublesome. You also need to be sure that you have the proper enzimes and vitamins in your diet. Enzimes are what allow your body to break down the food into something that it can use.

Wrong kind of food
You may not eat too much and still cause stomach fat. In fact, by comparisons to thinner people, you may eat a smaller amount. But have you stopped to think about what it IS that you are eating? Just because the portions may be smaller, it doesn't mean that the calorie intake is. There are foods that have so much extra suguar and other empty calories that it doesn't take much at all to put you over your daily calorie goals.

Can Exercise Remove This Stomach Fat?

Exercise by itself will do very little to remove your excess stomach fat. Exercise at best will increase your heart rate to a level where it burns more energy and therby makes your body tap into the fat reserves around your stomach. This will not help all that much because it would take running for a mile just to make up for an extra cookie. So it is not an accurate notion to believe that you can just do extra exercise to make up for bad eating habits.

How To Lose Excess Stomach Fat

If you really want to make your stomach flat and your ab muscles visible, then you have to make a change in your diet and lifestyle. If you have a great amount of extra stomach fat, then it is a sign of something that you are doing wrong. There are many details and nuances, but it basically all comes down to consuming much more than your body is using. If this is the case, then your body will store the extra stomach fat wherever it will fit, usually starting with your stomach.

For more information on losing extra stomach fat, look at the Fast Weight Loss page.

Final Thoughts

While there are many reasons and causes for extra fat to gather around your stomach, the solutions are pretty much the same. You need to take the steps to alter the lifestyle that has caused your current situation. Now that you understand the reasons, it is up to you to take the steps to remedy the problem.