Dear marrett88-ga;
Thank you for allowing me an opportunity to answer your interesting
question.
At the risk of stating the obvious, my research indicated that health
professionals overwhelmingly recommend focused exercise and proper
diet control as the best and most reasonable means reducing the “pot
belly” in middle-aged men. In order to understand the solution one
must first understand the causes.
I’ve put together a list of resources for you to look at that address
both of these issues from a men’s health perspective. I intentionally
avoided the commercial schemes and “instant weight loss” methods for
obvious reasons and tried to focus primarily on the scientific methods
of approaching this problem, which appears to be a common complaint
among men of our age.
Patrick J. Bird, Ph.D., of the University of Florida offered this
explanation to the problem and the solution to a 46-year-old man with
the same problem in his article, “Keeping Fit” (Column 640, 1999):
http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/keepingfit/ARTICLE/PotBelly.HTM
Without controlling the diet, a middle-aged man (or perhaps anyone for
that matter) is wasting both time and energy exercising. In fact,
without addressing the source of the weight problem, exercise might
even prove to be more harmful than good. I highly recommend a medical
physical (I have one every other year and they only take an hour or so
to complete) so your physician can be aware of your current physical
condition, help you to monitor your progress and recommend progressive
methods of controlling weight gain or weight loss. He will also be
able to tell if an underlying problem such as diabetes or hypertension
is the root of the man’s physical decline.
“Diet Advice for Men”
http://www.annecollins.com/diet_tips/diet-tips-for-men.htm
There is always a possibility that the middle-aged man is experiencing
a metabolic disorder that has not previously manifested itself until
later in life. This should be taken very seriously. Many doctors will
agree that a potbelly in men is now regarded as the potentially most
dangerous form of obesity. These articles address special problems
associated with the metabolism and medical conditions:
HEALTH AND AGE.com
“How to actively prevent men’s health hazards”
http://www.healthandage.com/html/res/health_hazards/content/metabolic.html
HEALTHY EATING CLUB
“Stress and the pot belly”
http://www.healthyeatingclub.com/info/articles/body-shape/stress-potbelly.htm
GUT BUSTERS
http://www.gutbusters.com.au/about.html
Of course, some men become obsessed with “curing the problem” and get
a bit carried away. As mentioned previously, this can often prove more
harmful in that we end up building muscle rather than reducing or
redistributing it:
ABSNEWS.com
“Workout Obsession”
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/MensHealth/menshealth_49.html
Now, let’s discuss what we are going to do about this problem. One
must be careful when rebuilding the body for aesthetic purposes so as
to avoid adding to the problem (literally). The man must focus on
reducing, toning and tightening rather than building on the existing
mid-section and inadvertently replacing it with a more muscle bound
one. These really informative (but a bit scientific) articles will
provide you with some insight into not only the causes but also the
treatments and myths concerning the mid-section of middle aged men. It
also has some significant links that may prove helpful.
“Fat Loss & Weight Training Myths”
http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Myths.html
“Waist Exercise”
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/WaistWt.html#anchor172895
One must keep in mind that the abdomen alone cannot be excersized
without excersizin and thus treating the whole person. Anyone
interested in reducing fat in a particular area of the body must first
begin treating the entire body as a means of achieving acceptable
localized results. There are no quick fixes when doing this naturally.
Assuming that your friend is given the medical “green light”, here are
some regimens to focus on as a means of reducing the problem area:
DIET
SAN FRANCISCO MEDICAL SOCIETY
“Healthy Diet Suggestions for Middle-Aged Men”
By Karen Ready, RD, Bill Hartman, PhD and Joan Saxton, MD
http://www.sfms.org/sfm/sfm1001c.htm\
HEALTH CONCERNS
“Weight Loss and Obesity”
(This is an excellent guide, by the way)
http://www.gnc.com/health_notes/Concern/Weight_Loss.htm
LOSE THAT BEER BELLY
http://www.vhihealthe.com/hfiles/hf-076.html
MEN’S HEALTH LEAFLET
http://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/OCO.pdf
EXCERSIZE
LOVE HANDLES
http://www.tgtor.com/love_handles.htm
ELIMINATING THAT OL’ POT BELLY
http://www.bikinihangout.com/special_features/hot_body/better_lifestyles/prev_art/index4.htm
MEN’S HEALTH GUIDE TO FITNESS
http://netscape.menshealth.com/fitness2/noexcuses.shtml
RECOMMENDED READING
“This is Not Your Father's Body: Fitness, Health and Nutrition for
Middle-Aged Men”
By James Judd, B.A.
190 pages; paperback; $24.95 CDN ($16.95 US)
Published by Trafford Publishing
ISBN 1-55369-193-8
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2002/9/prweb46214.php
“Choose to Lose Weight-Loss Plan for Men : A Take-Control Program for
Men With Guts to Lose”
By Ron & Nancy Goor
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0395966493/104-9668230-2654326?vi=glance
AVAILABLE MULTIMEDIA
“MEN’S HEALTH”
BELLY OFF – WEIGHT LOSS PLANNER
http://menshealth.genesant.com/gti/nutrition/nutrition_instructions/0,4431,502_,00.html
I hope you find that that my research exceeds your expectations. If
you have any questions about my research please post a clarification
request prior to rating the answer. I welcome your rating and your
final comments and I look forward to working with you again in the
near future. Thank you for using Google Answers.
Best regards;
Tutuzdad-ga
INFORMATION SOURCES
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/keepingfit/ARTICLE/PotBelly.HTM
“Fat Loss & Weight Training Myths”
http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Myths.html
“MEN’S HEALTH”
BELLY OFF – WEIGHT LOSS PLANNER
http://menshealth.genesant.com/gti/nutrition/nutrition_instructions/0,4431,502_,00.html
“This is Not Your Father's Body: Fitness, Health and Nutrition for
Middle-Aged Men”
By James Judd, B.A.
190 pages; paperback; $24.95 CDN ($16.95 US)
Published by Trafford Publishing
ISBN 1-55369-193-8
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2002/9/prweb46214.php
“Choose to Lose Weight-Loss Plan for Men : A Take-Control Program for
Men With Guts to Lose”
By Ron & Nancy Goor
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0395966493/104-9668230-2654326?vi=glance
LOVE HANDLES
http://www.tgtor.com/love_handles.htm
HEALTH CONCERNS
“Weight Loss and Obesity”
(This is an excellent guide, by the way)
http://www.gnc.com/health_notes/Concern/Weight_Loss.htm
LOSE THAT BEER BELLY
http://www.vhihealthe.com/hfiles/hf-076.html
MEN’S HEALTH LEAFLET
http://www.menshealthforum.org.uk/OCO.pdf
ELIMINATING THAT OL’ POT BELLY
http://www.bikinihangout.com/special_features/hot_body/better_lifestyles/prev_art/index4.htm
MEN’S HEALTH GUIDE TO FITNESS
http://netscape.menshealth.com/fitness2/noexcuses.shtml
SAN FRANCISCO MEDICAL SOCIETY
“Healthy Diet Suggestions for Middle-Aged Men”
By Karen Ready, RD, Bill Hartman, PhD and Joan Saxton, MD
http://www.sfms.org/sfm/sfm1001c.htm\
“Fat Loss & Weight Training Myths”
http://www.exrx.net/WeightTraining/Myths.html
“Waist Exercise”
http://www.exrx.net/Lists/ExList/WaistWt.html#anchor172895
“University of Florida” “Keeping Fit” (Column 640, 1999)
http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/keepingfit/ARTICLE/PotBelly.HTM
SEARCH STRATEGY
SEARCH ENGINE USED:
Google ://www.google.com
SEARCH TERMS USED:
Men belly reduction
Men Waist Exercise
Men workout routine belly
Men’s health weight loss
Men’s abdominal workout |
Request for Answer Clarification by
marrett88-ga
on
02 Jan 2003 06:19 PST
Tutuzdad, this is an outstanding answer !!
My friend is going tru this response very carefully.
He is aware that diet and exercises are the right way to go.However ,
he wants to know whether Yoga exercises are known to be beneficial for
waist reduction and also whether accupuncture can do any harm ie he
has seen adverts whereby some expert accupunturists from China have
claimed that about 30 accupunture treatments can help lose
weight.Hence , apart from diet and regular exercises, he wants to know
whether a spot of accupunture treatment can do him any harm ( ie if
it doesn't help in losing weight quickly , at least it wont harm him
either ) .
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Clarification of Answer by
tutuzdad-ga
on
02 Jan 2003 08:03 PST
Dear marrett88-ga;
Most of the sources related to Yoga and acupuncture as a means of
weight loss are directed toward women. This is because women tend to
be more sensitive toward their physical appearance than men, thus they
have traditionally been the primary target market. This, of course, by
no means indicates that these treatments are exclusively for women as
men can also benefit from these “treatments”.
KANG HYUK’S BEE ACUPUNCTURE
http://bee-venom.net/acu40/acu40_39.html
This site refers to the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) method of
partial fat reduction in the waist by using bee acupuncture. According
to this site, meticulously placed bee stings in certain areas can
reduce fat. “When the swelling disappears, the fat is dissolved.” It
goes on to mention acupuncture of the ears as a means of reducing fat.
“It is more valuable to acupuncture on the ears, because it
strengthens the spleen so you don't want to eat, and stimulates the
fat dissolution”. People with acute allergies or sensitivities to
venom (particularly insect stings) should avoid this treatment.
Then there is this:
PRESS POINT – EAR ACUPRESSURE
http://www.acupropress.com/presspoint/research.html
This site refers to acupressure, the technique of applying pressure to
certain points on the body in order to stimulate a reaction in another
part of the body. This appears very safe, is not invasive and does
seem to work in some patients.
I would be remiss, however, if I did not mention these before leading
you down this path any further:
“ACUPUNCTURE, QIGONG AND CHINESE MEDICINE”
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/acu.html
This article addresses the issue of fraud as it relates to the
practice of TCM and provides some relatively compelling evidence that
might make you give this method a second thought.
Yoga, on the other hand, is a bit different in that it can actually be
a form of healthy and productive exercise. Yoga combines the mind and
the body in an effort to achieve certain results; among them perhaps
is weight loss. The problem with Yoga is that it is highly
commercialized and almost inevitably requires one to be “properly
trained” or led by someone who is knowledgeable (for a fee), resulting
in either the purchase of memberships in a club or purchase of some
external “tools” such as yoga balls, bars, videos, music, meditation
books, etc. To some degree, it seems, this market takes advantage of
the fact that interested parties simply don’t know how to do it
properly and its livelihood relies almost entirely upon the sale of
guidance to those who wish to learn. Yoga is primarily intended for
those who are interested in relaxation, flexibility and stress
reduction, so depending on it as a sole means of reducing the weight
in one specific area of the body, I’m afraid, is probably not the most
productive course of action, as I understand the problem.
You would be well advised in your search for alternative weight loss
methods to first consult this site which tries desperately to keep up
with the ever increasing number of fraudulent claims in today’s
healthcare. The site is searchable so you can look for any references
to yoga or acupuncture at your leisure:
QUACKWATCH
“Your Guide to Health Fraud, Quackery, and Intelligent Decisions”
Operated by Stephen Barrett, M.D
http://www.quackwatch.org/
In my research I have found that nothing compares to concentrated
physical exercise and proper diet control to achieve the means you are
seeking, but I have done some alternative weight loss searches for you
using the Google search engine. Here you can repeat them and see
exactly what I saw:
BODY WRAP WEIGHT LOSS
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=body+wrap+weight+loss
STEAM WEIGHT LOSS
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&safe=off&q=steam+weight+loss
I hope this enhances you Google Answers experience
Regards;
Tutuzdad-ga
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