Stress Belly / Visceral Fat
QueenOfVines
Posts: 50 Member
I am very very slim, but today, I found out that i have an unhealthy Waist to Hip Ratio of 0.90.
Waist : 65-68 cm (depending on whether I breath out)
Hip : 72cm
It seems like I have what they call a "STress Belly" or "visceral fat" due to cortisol.
There was even in one time in my skinny life , when people thought I was pregnant.
Now, i don't look pregnant, but the WHR is still bad.
I don't feel that I'm in any stressful situation right now. But I was told that I have "hypervigilance", ie. underlying anxiety probably due to past trauma.
Does anyone know how to get rid of a Stress Belly?
Waist : 65-68 cm (depending on whether I breath out)
Hip : 72cm
It seems like I have what they call a "STress Belly" or "visceral fat" due to cortisol.
There was even in one time in my skinny life , when people thought I was pregnant.
Now, i don't look pregnant, but the WHR is still bad.
I don't feel that I'm in any stressful situation right now. But I was told that I have "hypervigilance", ie. underlying anxiety probably due to past trauma.
Does anyone know how to get rid of a Stress Belly?
3
Replies
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How do you know it's viseral fat due to cortisol?
2 -
Have you talked to your doctor about whether you really have a health risk?
You don't say how tall you are, or how old.
For an average height adult woman, your waist measurement would be fairly normal. (Many here, including me, think in those silly inches. Your waist is 25.5 inches to 26.8 inches.) I'm about 140cm (5'5"), a healthy weight, and my waist is about 72-73cm (28.5").
For an average height adult woman, your hip measurement would be very narrow (just over 28"). Mine is around 93 cm (about 36.5"), which is fairly average, maybe even lower average.
Are you very petite in height?
The waist to hip ratio is only one way of screening for health risk. Like the other risk screeners (waist to height ratio, BMI, for example), it is not accurate for everyone. Usually our doctor would evaluate us personally, looking at various health markers. What does your doctor say about your waist or visceral fat?
There are various strategies for addressing stress, and those might be beneficial for you (things like exercise, meditation, counseling/therapy, etc.). Your question seems to be more physical, though, so that would be a reason to talk with your doctor.
Best wishes!7 -
You may want to read through this as it provides a bit of info on how the measurement is actually supposed to be taken:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waist–hip_ratio
You may want to confirm your tape is parallel to the floor when measuring both waist and hips
You may want to also include waist to height and BMI in your consideration.
An isolated measurement is an indication that you might want to investigate whether you're at a higher risk---not a verdict.
If you're, as you put it, very very slim, it would be fairly unusual to have excess abdominal fat that puts you in the obese category
If your measurements and weight don't jive a visit to doctor to square the circle (confirmation of excess abdominal fat, or other concerning or non concerning issues) may be more relevant than trying to lose potential self diagnosed abdominal fat on a slim person6 -
@QueenOfVines I feel your pain. I have always had a pot belly... only recently have a come to the conclusion that i have what you call a “stress belly” Our bodies go into self preservation mode when it is put under stress ,... something about too much cortisol 🤷♀️ It is hard fat to get rid of .... as i am unable to see my reg doc or my natural path I personally have started taking a supplement called thyro-smart ... it is supposed to help reduce the cortisol. Also, i was flowing the 21 day fix program plus walking daily ... as this puts my body in full blown stress mode i have switched to a 3 week yoga program ....so will see.
I suggest a naturalpath doc when the things go back to normal ... i find med doc dont listen when it comes to stuff like this
PS i am not a doctor just a woman who struggles daily with her weight .... i have done my research and spoken to professionals... i am only offering my personal opinion.2 -
My Height is 156cm
My Weight 45kg
My BMI is 18.5. (almost underweight)
My age 43 yr.
I have just retaken my measurements, and it's 68cm/72cm . so my WHR is 0.94.
way above the healthy ratio of 0.8.0 -
QueenOfVines wrote: »My Height is 156cm
My Weight 45kg
My BMI is 18.5. (almost underweight)
My age 43 yr.
I have just retaken my measurements, and it's 68cm/72cm . so my WHR is 0.94.
way above the healthy ratio of 0.8.
So, translating into imperial for other people who use the same wrong-headed measurement scheme I do
, you're about 5'1.5", quite petite**.
Your waist to hip ratio is high, so that (as a matter of statistical analysis, not individual diagnosis) suggests possible concern.
You waist to height ratio, 68cm to 156cm, is 0.44. That's within the healthy range of 0.42-0.48 for all-age women (i.e. statistically suggests more positive health outcomes).
Your BMI is at the bottom of the healthy range, the range that also statistically suggests more positive health outcomes.
Your waist to hip ratio is not in what would normally be considered the healthy range. However, I believe your hip measurement is relatively low, even for your height, so the issue may be more that you have an unsually narrow pelvis, as opposed to an unusually large waist. For any of the screening metrics, some individual people's body configuration may result in a misleading value. I don't know whether that might be true for you.
So two of the three standard screening metrics suggest no cause for concern. I understand that you feel your waist measurement is too high, and I also understand that concern, in context of your sense that you may have heightened cortisol. Under those circumstances, I think your best bet would be to discuss your concern with your doctor. There are health conditions that can increase waist size, and those can be diagnosed by a doctor, not by random people like me on the internet.
Wishing you all the best! :flowerforyou:
** With apologies, I misstated my height previously; 5'5" is actually about 165cm. I don't arithmetic well!14 -
With a BMI of 18.5 respectfully excess visceral fat rising to obesity levels is extremely unlikely.
Therefore either Anne's nterpretation about the hips is correct, or if your waist circumference is actually more then would be expected it would be something to discuss with a licensed board certified legitimate medical doctor in person10 -
You do have quite narrow hips I think, skewing the proportion. It's impossible to judge based purely on numbers.
High cortisol is something that can be checked with a blood test. High visceral fat can perhaps be tested too, with a scan, I don't know about that part. But I would start by getting a confirmation from a doctor that you have high cortisol and a 'stress belly' before worrying about your waist to hip ratio.5 -
First of all, you've gone with 68 cm which was your original "lungs full" measurement. I read the wikipedia article as discussing an "empty lungs" measurement. The link below has detail instruction on how to measure.
MUCH more relevant, we now have 3/4 measures that say you have NO reason to be concerned about abdominal fat.
The Canadian Heart and Stroke foundation is listing waist > 80cm as the concerning point for women, with > 88cm as elevated. You are a LONG way away from that.
https://www.heartandstroke.ca/get-healthy/healthy-weight/healthy-weight-and-waist
The only measure that indicates a concern is the one that considers your hips, and others have commented on that.
IF HOWEVER, you do feel that your waist has recently increased beyond expectation I would urge you to get checked out by a doctor to rule out a myriads of less or more concerning issues that can all contribute to a larger than normal waist. At your current bmi abdominal fat, stress or no stress, is, as I've mentioned, hard to credit as a possibility.3 -
Hello,
Waist to Hip Ratio is one guide, but more accurate will be using the fat measurement machine. Besides blood test, CT Scan which is very costly.
Go get a good fat measurement machine, which will also give you an indicator of how much visceral fats you have. The Healthline website says below 13 is good. But my family doctor says below 15 (I think he is being kind to me).
Stay healthy.0 -
melgreywolf75 wrote: »Hello,
Waist to Hip Ratio is one guide, but more accurate will be using the fat measurement machine. Besides blood test, CT Scan which is very costly.
Go get a good fat measurement machine, which will also give you an indicator of how much visceral fats you have. The Healthline website says below 13 is good. But my family doctor says below 15 (I think he is being kind to me).
Stay healthy.
There are no accurate and affordable machines that people can buy. The most accurate measure of body composition is a Dexa scan or hydrostatic testing. Body composition scales are wildly inaccurate.6 -
melgreywolf75 wrote: »Hello,
Waist to Hip Ratio is one guide, but more accurate will be using the fat measurement machine. Besides blood test, CT Scan which is very costly.
Go get a good fat measurement machine, which will also give you an indicator of how much visceral fats you have. The Healthline website says below 13 is good. But my family doctor says below 15 (I think he is being kind to me).
Stay healthy.
Those machines don't work! I actually got into an argument with a doctor, a medical professional who used such a thing you hold in your hands during an office health check. He told me I had about 41% bodyfat. At a bmi of around 22. I guess I now know that my boobs contain lots of fat.
7 -
Here is my pic... I don't think it's just small hip. I have a ball in front of me...0 -
QueenOfVines wrote: »
Here is my pic... I don't think it's just small hip. I have a ball in front of me...
Do you have a picture of you standing up straight? You're arching your back which is pushing your stomach out. I think you are creating something that isn't there.15 -
QueenOfVines wrote: »
Here is my pic... I don't think it's just small hip. I have a ball in front of me...
What I see in your pic is a posture problem, which is causing your stomach to stick out--a little. Do exercises to improve your posture. Also take a new pic, but this time Stand Up Straight!9 -
Also, this asks for the womb thread. I just can't find it.4
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Look at the line of the side seam in your dress OP - that's how hard you are trying to push out your stomach.
You do appear to be trying to convince yourself you have a problem.
The "underlying anxiety" you mention manifesting itself perhaps?
11 -
Also, this asks for the womb thread. I just can't find it.
This one, I'm guessing
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10689837/does-this-uterus-make-my-stomach-look-fat/p17 -
QueenOfVines wrote: »
Here is my pic... I don't think it's just small hip. I have a ball in front of me...
Your posture is the problem. You’re arching your back, which is forcing your stomach out — it’s obvious really in this picture, because a) we can see you arching and b) the line of your dress is shifting back. Stand up completely straight.8
Thanks a lot. 
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