Login | March 02, 2026
The annual belly fat conundrum
PETE GLADDEN
Published: March 2, 2026
Have you begun yet another new year with the same burning desire that you had the previous new year, and maybe even the new year before that…to loose excess belly fat?
Well, unfortunately that desirous New Year’s resolution is fast becoming the grandaddy of all New Year’s resolutions because according to an October 15, 2025 article, “Study Indicates Dramatic Increase in Percentage of U.S. Adults Who Meet New Definition of Obesity,” published by researchers from Mass General Brigham (a not-for-profit, integrated health system based in Greater Boston), obesity in the US has increased from about 40 percent to about 70 percent according to the stats they’ve amassed from a study of over 300,000 people.
And the dangerous thing about excess belly fat in particular is that it puts one at a greater risk of heart disease and diabetes than people who merely carry some excess fat around the hips, thighs or buttocks.
Now I’ve written several Legal News columns over the years discussing the fact that there’s no quick fix here, no magic bullet supplement, no one-off exercise and no fancy gadget that will provide you with a secret and miraculous shortcut to getting rid of belly fat.
And there’s decade’s worth of physiologic peer-reviewed studies to confirm this, all easily accessible via the handy old google machine.
So no matter what you’ve visually digested in Reddit and on Facebook and TikTok that might state otherwise, and no matter who’s told you differently, doing fad diets and/or doing sit-up and crunch-like exercises for gazillions of reps absolutely will not get rid of that dangerous layer of fat that sits on top of your abdominal muscles.
Period.
So let’s reexamine the facts here, and maybe by doing so this little discussion can serve as a catalyst for actually accomplishing that enigmatic goal of reducing belly fat.
And might I add here that by attaining just that one singular goal you can reap a host of other benefits, primary among them is vastly improving your overall health profile.
Okay, so the only way to get rid of belly fat is to lose fat from your whole body, and that can be accomplished via a healthful diet and exercise.
Here’s a little physiology 101 to explain how fat loss happens thru exercise.
So the fat is stored in your fat cells is a triglyceride which can used for energy. But this triglyceride has to be broken down into smaller entities called free fatty acids and glycerol before they can be burned.
And this is where exercise comes in, because exercise stimulates hormones in the body such that, through a process called lipolysis, those triglycerides in the fat cells can be broken down into free fatty acids and glycerol and then be used as a fuel source.
Think of those fat cells as little balloons filled with triglycerides which can expand and contract in size based on your food intake and your energy expenditure.
Thus, when regular exercise demands more energy those fat cells shrink little by little as a result of relinquishing their triglycerides for fuel - until suddenly there comes a day when you begin to notice that you’re not only shrinking around the mid section, but you’re also loosing fat in the arms, legs and buttocks.
What’s more, you’re getting fitter and feeling healthier.
Okay, so what kinds of exercises and what kind of dieting is necessary for this fat cell shrinkage process to take place?
Well, the answer’s pretty simple, for all you really need to do is combine cardio and resistance exercising along with a diet that incorporates plenty of fiber, fresh veggies and fruit and a bit more protein than usual.
And finally, reduce your intake of ultra-processed, calorie dense foods.
Now if you’ve been away from physical activity for a while then see your doc for a check-up prior to entering into a workout routine, this just to make sure there’s no exercises/movements/activities that should be contraindicated based on your health status.
Once you’re cleared for physical activity begin slowly with your exercise program, building up gradually so that eventually you can reach a goal of 2.5 hours of weekly moderate-intensity cardio (brisk walking/rucking, cycling, swimming, jogging) and at least two days of strength training.
THIS is the so-called “secret” to loosing belly fat!