No Fancy Diets Can Reduce Belly Fat Says Research

Though reducing belly fat or rather abdominal obesity can help prevent many a health risks that it comes with, a fancy diet is not the way to go about it say health experts from Wolters Kluwer Health. “There is still no miracle diet, food, nutrient, or bioactive component that will target abdominal fat,” writes Kari D. Pilolla, PhD, RDN, of the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo according to Science Daily.

So What Does Help

ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal says that a diet which is heart healthy, high in fiber and low in saturated fats can help prevent abdominal obesity and can also help reduce it. On the other hand Dr. Pillola says that abdominal obesity should be measured by health and fitness professionals and find out their cardiometabolic health risks. Post this, a registered dietician nutrition should guide the individual in losing weight with diet and exercise.

“With the health consequences associated with abdominal obesity, research will not cease in this area,” says Dr. Pilolla. “Health and fitness professionals should continue to stay up-to-date and critical of peer-reviewed, published research evidence. A single study, even if well designed, does not support changing diet or exercise recommendations.”

“As a sports dietitian and ACSM-Certified Exercise Physiologist, I certainly understand that nutrition and exercise go hand in hand,” Dr. Laura Kruskall, PhD, RDN, CSSD, LD, FACSM, FAND, of University of Nevada, Las Vegas says. “It is important for both exercise and nutrition professions to give consistent information that is accurate, evidence-based, and applicable to our patients and clients. This special issue is full of such information written by experts in the field. I hope readers enjoy this issue and leave with some exciting take-away points that can be used in practice.”