This is one of the most common weight loss queries.
However, targeted fat loss in specific areas of the body – be it the thighs or the stomach – is “simply not possible”, a leading weight loss scientist has claimed.
Advertisements for exercises, pills and supplements often claim to burn fat in one part of the body.
Dr Nick Fuller, author and lecturer in obesity treatment and management at the University of Sydney, described targeted fat loss – or “spot reduction” – as a “myth”.
Instead, factors beyond your control, such as genes, gender and age, as well as how much fat and muscle a person has, determine the areas and order in which our bodies store and lose fat, he said.
Dr Nick Fuller (pictured), author and lecturer in obesity treatment and management at the University of Sydney, said factors beyond our control affect the areas and sequence in which our bodies store and lose fat.
Research has also shown that genes can account for up to 60 percent of the distribution of body fat, Dr. Ink pen. Gender and age can also play a role, as changes in muscle mass, metabolism and hormone levels are affected by the aging process. “Women tend to lose weight first in the face, calves and arms, as this has the least impact on fertility, while retaining the fat accumulated around the hips, thighs and buttocks,” he added.
In The Conversation, he wrote: “Our muscles do not have direct access to certain fat stores and cannot burn them when we exercise.”
Instead, they use a process called lipolysis to convert triglycerides — harmful fats in the blood — into free fatty acids and a substance called glycerin, “which then travels through our bloodstream to our muscles.”
“That’s why the fat reserves we use for energy during exercise come from throughout the body – and not just the areas where we lose fat,” he said.
In addition, research suggests that training specific muscles has little effect on fat loss in that area.
A 2015 study of 45 women who followed a weight loss diet found that those who also did abdominal exercises did not see a greater improvement in reducing belly fat compared to those who dieted alone.
Iranian researchers concluded that “there were no significant differences between groups.”
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Research shows that genes, gender and age influence where people gain and lose fat.
Genes can account for up to 60 percent of the distribution of body fat, meaning that where a person’s parents store fat is often an indicator of where they store that fat, Dr. Ink pen.
Gender also plays a role. For example, women store more fat than men – to support pregnancy and breastfeeding – and tend to lose weight first in their face, calves and arms, because that’s what Dr. Fuller has the least impact on fertility.
Age affects where the body stores fat, with postmenopausal women and middle-aged men tending to accumulate fat around their waists, which they find difficult to move, he said.
Additionally, pills and supplements that claim to burn fat are not supported by substantial evidence, Dr. Fuller – even when advertising claims are backed up by clinical studies and scientific evidence.
This is what two recent studies by researchers at the University of Sydney investigated More than 120 studies of herbal and dietary supplements that claim to help you lose weight have found that ““insufficient evidence” behind the allegations.
That’s why spot reduction is a “myth” and it’s impossible to control where the body loses fat, he said.
Instead, people can simply try to achieve overall fat loss, which will change body shape and help with long-term weight control, Dr. Fuller added.
Dr. Fuller, author of “Interval Weight Loss” and “Interval Weight Loss for Life,” said, “That’s because your metabolism—how much energy you burn at rest—depends on how much muscle and fat you’re carrying.”
Someone with greater muscle mass has a faster metabolism than someone with the same weight but higher fat mass, he said.
Those who want to look slimmer should lose weight in “small, manageable portions” that they can maintain, with each weight loss period followed by weight maintenance time until a goal weight is reached, he said.
A lack of exercise combined with an unhealthy diet has been blamed for the growing obesity epidemic in the UK.
The latest NHS data shows that 26 per cent of adults in England are obese and a further 38 per cent are overweight but not obese.
These rates are also high among children: a quarter of children in reception classes in England are now considered overweight and one in ten are considered obese.
A ground-breaking study published in May found that Britain’s bulging waistlines are eating up billions of pounds of NHS cash every year, with twice as much being spent on obese patients as on those at a healthy weight.
According to a study of nearly 2.5 million people, the cost per patient increases dramatically as people gain weight because they develop “obesity-related diseases” such as type 2 diabetes, cancer and heart disease.
What should a balanced diet look like?
According to the NHS, meals should be based on potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably whole grains
• Eat at least 5 portions of a variety of fruit and vegetables every day. All fresh, frozen, dried and canned fruits and vegetables count
• Basic meals with potatoes, bread, rice, pasta or other starchy carbohydrates, preferably whole grains
• 30 grams of fiber per day: This is equivalent to eating all of the following: 5 portions of fruit and vegetables, 2 wholegrain crackers, 2 thick slices of wholegrain bread, and a large baked potato with skin on
• Provide some dairy products or milk alternatives (eg soya drinks) and opt for lower fat and lower sugar options
• Eat beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (including 2 portions of fish per week, one portion fatty).
• Choose unsaturated oils and spreads and consume them in small amounts
• Drink 6-8 cups/glasses of water a day
• Adults should consume less than 6 grams of salt and 20 grams of saturated fat for women and 30 grams for men per day
Source: NHS Eatwell Guide
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Crystal Leahy is an author and health journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a background in health and wellness, Crystal has a passion for helping people live their best lives through healthy habits and lifestyles.
