Scary Study Says Fat Belly Raises Risk for Dementia

Wow! And you thought your beer belly was just a problem with the ladies! Turns out that a big gut in your 40's can increase your risk of getting dementia or Alzheimer's disease later on, according to a scary new study done by the Permanente Division of Research. As if there weren't already enough health reasons out there to make you get rid of that spare tire, now you have to worry about losing your mind in old age as well. Heard enough yet? Here's more from CNN:

It's not just about your weight. While previous research has found evidence that obesity in middle age raises the chances of developing dementia later, the new work found a separate risk from storing a lot of fat in the abdomen. Even people who weren't overweight were susceptible.
That abdominal fat, sometimes described as making people apple-shaped rather than pear-shaped, has already been linked to higher risk of developing diabetes, stroke and heart disease.
"Now we can add dementia to that," said study author Rachel Whitmer of the Kaiser Permanente Division of Research in Oakland, California.
She and others report the findings in Wednesday's online issue of the journal Neurology.
The study involved 6,583 men and women who were ages 40 to 45 when they had checkups between 1964 and 1973. As part of the exam, their belly size was measured by using a caliper to find the distance between their backs and the surface of their upper abdomens. For the study, a distance of about 10 inches or more was considered high. The researchers checked medical records to see who had developed Alzheimer's or another form of dementia by an average of 36 years later. At that point the participants were ages 73 to 87. There were 1,049 cases.

Belly Fat Basics: The Momentum of Omentum, Dr. Oz on Oprah

Never heard of the omentum organ? You know that belly fat you're trying to get rid of, that's its "professional" name: the omentum. Hate to admit it, but I learned that from Dr. Oz while watching the Oprah show a while back. So, you say, what's the big deal if it's got a fancy name? Well, it makes a difference in how IMPORTANT it is for you to get rid of that spare tire you're carrying around.
According to Dr. Oz, a healthy, normal omentum looks "lacy, like stockings . . . transparent and thin." Not much to it when you look a the picture (the old, skinny Oprah is holding it), but when it gets bigger it not only looks nasty (the one Dr. Oz is holding is "only" from someone who was 30 to 40 lbs overweight. Imagine what yours looks like?) but the fat stored in it can create an inflammatory process that irritates your arteries and puts you at risk for blocked arteries!

How Does Dr. Oz Recommend You Lose Belly Fat?

Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen studied people who lost weight and kept it off. They noticed that dieters who cut 400 calories a day ended up yo-yo dieting and regaining weight. Fasting shuts down your metabolism, Dr. Oz says, so when you bow to temptation and devour a candy bar, most of the calories are quickly deposited as fat.

Cutting 100 calories a day—the equivalent of a Granny Smith apple—is a dieting strategy that most people can sustain for a lifetime, he says.

So, to recap: flat stomach good, beer belly bad.

Best Reviews of Fat Loss 4 Idiots (aka The Idiot Proof Diet)

We have so many reviews of the Idiot Proof Diet from people all over the world, it's hard to select a few as our favorites, but we'll try. Below are snippets from just a few. (If you'd like to read any of the full reviews, just click here.)

From Rebecca L.:

This diet has worked like no other I have ever tried. I am getting all of the nutrients I need, I have plenty of energy, I'm hardly ever really hungry, and I'm still losing weight just by eating the foods from the diet plan! I eat 4-5 times a day following the menu that was generated specifically for me, I just chose the foods that I like to eat and already have in my home and the rest is history.

From another dieter:

Following this diet for the last two months I have lost fifty pounds, have gotten rid of my blood pressure meds at my doctors orders,and have increased the amount of weight I can lift. I feel great all day, every day with energy to spare and still sleep like a baby at night.something I have not done for years.

Dale the Diabetic Said:

I am an insulin dependent diabetic. Insulin helps keep weight on, so I had that against me. Then of course I'm to busy to eat and would literally eat my first meal at dinner. The Idiot Proof Diet was simple, there it was in black and white what I could eat and I could eat as much as I wanted of it (*not every item, but most). I lost 11 lbs in the first 9 days. I knew if I could eat whatever I wanted on the "days off portion" I would gain some of them back! BUT I DID NOT. To date I have lost 47 lbs.

Nadine in Southern California wrote:

I started a one month ago and I went from 235 (no lie) to 212 and I am so excited. I can not believe how easy it is and I recommend it to all my friends. Especially friends that are not having any luck with there current diet. I know when I see my mother & sister next time they are going to really hop on this diet. You get plenty to eat, drink and walking is the key. I don't skip meals anymore, I eat more now than I ever did.

This one's from Nancy W:

Since the birth of my son I had a problem with edema, or swelling in the legs. The Idiot Proof Diet has eliminated the swelling in my legs. It has eliminated the acne on my face. It has given me more energy than I can burn during the day, and my days generally run 18 hours or more!

Get more details on the Idiot Proof Diet here.

Is Your Belly Fat the Result of a Food Allergy?

Yesterday we talked about the basic principals involved in losing your belly fat: that you can't expect to keep doing the same things you've always done (both eating and not exercising) and expect to have a flatter stomach. If that concept is still foreign to you, please scroll down and read that post.

Another thing that people don't often consider is that some of their paunch (likely not all) could be due to a food allergy. In my case, I look fatter after I have eaten anything with wheat in. I also belch like a drunken sailor. But mostly, I look and feel bloated. My spouse discovered she had a gluten allergy (the basic ingredient in wheat-based products) and stopped eating things with wheat in them . . . and there are A LOT! Like high fructose corn syrup, gluten is in a lot of stuff other than bread and cookies. You have to pay attention to labels to make sure they're not sneaking it in on you!

The result, however, could be quite pleasant, if you're like me. Although technically I haven't lost any weight, a gluten-free diet makes me feel less bloated and I look thinner as a result. How many people have a gluten allergy in the United States? Hard to say, but if you think you might have even a mild allergy to wheat (In addition to the bloat and belching I also had to clear my throat frequently) why not give it a try. Plan a few "wheat free days" and see how you feel. In most cities it's much easier now to find gluten free products and most are quite good.

Tomorrow: what's up with all this water?

Belly Fat Basics: The Painful Truth

Let's be honest here: you already know that to get rid of your belly fat you need to do something different than you are already doing now. You either need to eat different food than you are currently eating, or you need to eat less of what you are eating now, or you need to move those abdominal muscles more . . . or a combination of those three.

There is no magic pill or "spare tire cream" that will make it go away without some kind of effort. If that's what you came here looking for, you can leave right now.

If you keep doing what you have always done, you will get the results you've always gotten. That's why for me, personally, the best place to start is with my diet. If I feel better, I will move more and be more motivated. If I exercise a lot (but keep eating like crap) I usually don't see any results. So, that's why there are three programs we recommend on this page to get you started. I won't call them diets because you really can't change the way you eat for a few weeks, drop some starvation pounds and water weight and expect to look trimmer in the long run. You'll just be tired and a little lighter in the wallet.

No, these are all lifestyle changers that will help you eat healthier and move more for life.

First up: The Idiot Proof Diet aka Fat Loss 4 Idiots. Sorry if you are offended by the name but so many people have had success with this that we could care less what the name of it is. Basically, it creates a menu for you online that tells you what to eat and when and it will keep you full, but help you shed the pounds.

Next: Top Secret Fat Loss Secret by Dr. Suzanne Gudakunst . This one is new and pretty radical, but if you have tried everything else and you still have a bloated stomach you can't get rid of, this might be the answer. But be warned: there are people out there who don't like what Dr. Suzanne is saying and they are trying to shut this website down.

Finally: Tom Venuto's "Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle". This is a combination diet and exercise plan for those folks who have trimmed down, but still don't have the body they want. Tom's plan helps you push that last mile or so like no other program we are aware of.

The best part about all these plans? You can download any one of them TODAY and if they don't work for you, you can get your money back within 45 days. And you'll know if they work by then, won't you?

Next time, I'll share the trick that's worked the most for me.