Like most problems, if you want to successfully lose your fat tummy and get a set of rippling abs in its place then it helps to understand the exact nature of the problem.

Of course, most people will just tell you that your fat tummy is down to unhealthy eating and not doing any exercise. Although these are the most common causes of the problem, there are many other contributing factors which need to be taken into account. I will now discuss the most common ones and what you can do to fight them.

Cause 1: A Slow Metabolism

Its a proven fact that, as we get older, our metabolism starts to slow down – along with the rest of us! If you are trying to lose weight, then this is not a good thing, as it means that our bodies burn calories at a slower rate.The slowing of the metabolism also leads to increased fat storage – particularly around the middle leading to the dreaded fat tummy!

Cause 2: The Menopause

Luckily, this only affects half of the population, but it is still a major contributing factor to the problem of fat tummy.With the onset of the menopause, many women find that fat tends to build up around the middle as well as a whole range of other non-too-pleasant changes.

Cause 3: Stress

This is one of the biggest factors in weight gain for most people. What you may not know is that there’s a physical reason for this, and its all down to a hormone called cortisol, that is released by the body during times of stress.Cortisol causes your liver to create more sugar and you start to feel hungrier as a result leading you to eat more.No prizes for guessing where most of the calories end up.

Cause 4: Genetics

We are actually genetically pre-disposed to having a fat tummy in some cases. We are often referred to as pear or apple shaped because of this. People who tend to gain weight in the lower part of the body are called pear shaped, whereas those who tend to gain weight around the top and middle section are referred to as apple shaped.

Check out what kind you are by looking at your relatives who are overweight.

If they are apple shaped then it may be the case that you will find a fat tummy comes naturally to you no matter what you do.

Cause 5: Poor Digestion

Rather that gaining weight, some people are actually suffering from gas and bloatedness as a result of poor digestion when they complain of a fat tummy.

Cause 6: Poor Posture

Most people don’t even consider this one.Poor posture can make your tummy look “pot bellied” in appearance.To check the effect that your posture is having, just stand in front of the mirror and raise yourself up erect, check out the difference! Now poor posture is unlikely to be the cause of a fat tummy on its own – chances are there is also excess fat there, but the poor posture can accentuate the appearance of the belly fat.

Cause 7: Eating Late at Night

Its never a good idea to eat late at night, especially if you are trying to lose belly fat.Not only will you feel bloated and get a bad nights sleep, but your body wont have the chance to digest the food properly. Going to bed on a full stomach greatly increases your chance of weight gain, particularly around the middle.

What Does This Mean For Me?

As I said at the beginning, diet and exercise are the two most likely things that are causing your fat tummy, so you really need to take them into account.

No, you see, if you really need to successfully loose belly fat and help keep it off for the long term then you need to take a much more holistic approach to the problem, and that starts with educating yourself about how the body works. Of course, regular exercise is a must, but it must be aimed at improving your overall fitness rather than just concentrating on one particular part of your anatomy. The reason is that fat tends to build up around your belly faster than in other parts of your body, but the reverse is also true – when you start to exercise and lose weight, belly fat is some of the first to go. So you see, you don’t really need to treat belly fat as a special case – simply exercise and diet and it will go of its own accord.

As you may also be aware, exercise on its own, is not enough to guarantee success for diet plays a critical part in the overall process of losing weight. In fact its possible that if you don’t control your diet but exercise more that you will actually gain weight! Losing weight requires a two pronged approach. The secret to sustained and successful weight loss is learning to adjust your diet so that you are burning more calories than you consume. Sound simple, and it is, but this takes the right mental and physical approach to pull off successfully.

Developing the right mental and physical approach, however, is not always as easy as you might think. That’s why I recommend that you get a good weight loss guide is you are serious about trying to loose belly fat, or indeed if you are wanting to lose weight and get fitter in general. One of the best guides around at the moment is The Fat Burning Furnace guide that I have reviewed in full here. Its author Rob Poulos is one of the most respected fitness guides (I hate the word guru!) in the world and he has developed this guide specifically to get quick and dramatic results. This helps to motivate even the most reluctant dieter around to press on and reach their goals. Why not take look at Fat Burning Furnace and see what all of the fuss is about – you wont be disappointed.