Effective Ways to Reduce Belly Fat and Lose Weight, Just Diet or Should Exercise?

YOGYAKARTA - Looking for an effective way to reduce belly fat and weight often makes you hesitate where to start. The question that often arises is, is it enough to improve the diet, or is it the exercise that is more decisive? Recent research provides a clearer answer. Reported by Medical News Today, Sunday, December 14, a combination of a healthy diet and regular physical activity has proven to be the most effective strategy for losing fat, especially belly fat which is known to be more risky for health.

Visceral fat is fat that is deep inside the abdominal cavity, surrounding important organs such as the liver and pancreas. Unlike subcutaneous fat under the skin, visceral fat is more closely associated with the risk of serious diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other metabolic disorders. Reducing it is not just about appearance, but also an important part of maintaining long-term health.

The large study published in JAMA involved more than 7,200 adults in the UK. Participants were followed for about seven years to see how changes in diet and physical activity levels affected total body fat and visceral fat. The results showed that participants who only improved their diet or only increased their physical activity still gained health benefits. However, those who improved both simultaneously experienced the most significant reduction in total fat and visceral fat.

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In numbers, participants who undertook this dual change tended to experience a smaller fat gain of around 1.9 kilograms and had around 150 grams less visceral fat than those who did not undertake these healthy lifestyle improvements.

This means that the most effective strategy is not to choose one, but to run the two in harmony. Healthy eating patterns include the intake of whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, grains, quality proteins, and good fats. Reducing ultra-processed foods is also an important step to help the body work more efficiently.

Physical activity does not always have to be in the form of heavy exercise. A brisk walk, light cycling, simple weight training, or an activity you enjoy already helps increase metabolism and reduce body fat accumulation.

When a healthy diet and active movement are done together, the body responds better. Metabolism increases, fat storage decreases, and body composition gradually improves.

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Simple steps can be taken with lifestyle changes, not necessarily drastic. Just add vegetables to every meal, limit sugary and ultra-processed foods, or set a goal of walking 20-30 minutes a day. Small, consistent steps like these recommendations often give better results than big changes that are difficult to live with.

To answer the anxiety, whether to lose weight and reduce belly fat need exercise or just diet? Turns out the two complement each other. The combination of a healthy diet and regular exercise is the most effective approach to reducing belly fat and losing weight. This approach not only affects the numbers on the scales, but also brings great benefits to metabolic health and lowers the risk of various chronic diseases.