Fat Belly and Sugar Consumption

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that's extremely calorie-dense. At four calories for each gram of sugar, it's easy to go overboard on sweet treats and beverages and not know it. According to medical experts, sugar consumption, especially the added sugars from soft drinks, is directly tied to weight gain and obesity -- increased body fat.

Consider all of the known sugars you consume in a day: candy bars, soda, sugared cereals, cookies. Add to that the hidden sugars that you consume. Take a look at the nutritional information for any of the foods you regularly eat. Under the "carbohydrates" count, there is a count for "sugars." High amounts of sugar are in a surprising number of things that you eat every day. Once you become aware of how many processed foods contain sugar, you'll be astounded at how much sugar you eat every day.

Excess sugar, salt and fat causes bloating and water retention. It also causes weight gain [fat.] Eating too much sugar spikes your blood sugar which causes you to eat more and your metabolism goes down. You don't have the proper nutrition for energy. That's why people feel sluggish after eating sugary candy, even though people think it makes them hyper. I don't think it's the one and only cause of stomach fat, but I think it's a contributing cause of fat in general.

Sugar addiction is no easy thing to kick, but the hardest part is the first step. Many sugar addicts report that if they can just get by the first few days or a week without sugar, their cravings almost entirely disappear. The problem is that if they fall off the wagon even once, the sugar jonesing comes back with a vengeance. It’s like they never stopped at all.

That points to one key strategy – get all the refined sugar out of your house and never buy more. Sure, you can still trip up by visiting a mini-mart, restaurant, or coffee shop, but the best thing is to remove all temptation from your immediate vicinity. Often, it’s that quick craving that would be relatively easy to face down if you had no sugary treats staring you in the face that proves to be your undoing. If you have nothing which to grab, you can get past it. If there’s a plate of cookies, a slice of cake, or a box of sweet crackers within reach, all bets are off.