PCOS belly fat: Why does it occur and how to manage it?

PCOS doesn’t directly cause weight gain. Still, it can impact your hormonal balance, metabolic function, and insulin sensitivity. It can even alter your appetite and fat distribution. All these reasons lead to a common occurrence of excess weight in women with this condition. And it’s especially common to accumulate fat in the abdominal area, which is why PCOS belly fat is a real thing that affects many females.

Unlike a regular fat belly that’s soft and pinchable, a PCOS belly is often round, large, and firm. This is because PCOS primarily causes the gain of visceral fat that surrounds your internal organs. Luckily, it’s possible to manage PCOS belly fat with the following tips:

• Diet balancing
• Increased physical activity
• Mental health management
• Guided PCOS treatment

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Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a common hormonal condition affecting women in their reproductive years. According to different figures, this condition affects an estimated 6-13% of women globally. Though experts believe that up to 70% of affected females remain undiagnosed.

By undermining the normal work of the female ovaries, PCOS can bring along quite many unpleasant symptoms, such as hirsutism (excessive hair growth in unwanted areas), acne, hair loss, and many others. Yet, one issue that often causes the most frustration and disappointment in women with PCOS is weight gain, particularly in the abdominal area.

In this article, we’ll delve into the topic of PCOS belly fat. We’ll explore what it is, what causes it, how it’s different from other types of bellies, and how you can manage it.

What Is PCOS Belly Fat?

PCOS belly fat is a common term used to refer to excessive fat accumulated around the abdomen in women diagnosed with PCOS. Although it’s not a medical term, it’s widely used in the PCOS community because PCOS belly fat is a common occurrence and a pressing issue that bothers many women with this condition.

According to different figures, overweight and obesity can affect anywhere from 20% to 80% of females. And fat stored in the belly area, in particular, is one of the most common manifestations of PCOS.

Why Does PCOS Cause Belly Fat?

Although PCOS belly fat is a rather common issue, the first thing we’d like to clarify from the start is that PCOS does not cause weight gain on its own. Yet, it affects numerous systems and processes in your body, changing them.

Here are the main PCOS-related changes that can lead to increased BMI and excess belly fat:

Hormonal Imbalance

PCOS affects the work of your ovaries and thus impacts the balance of essential hormones in your body. The ovaries play an essential role in your endocrine system, producing such essential hormones as estrogen, progesterone, and androgens. When PCOS develops, it usually triggers a drop in estrogen and an overproduction of androgens. This imbalance negatively affects the glucose regulation and lipid metabolism of the body, potentially causing uncontrolled and hard-to-deal-with weight gain, especially linked to increased androgens.

Insulin Resistance

By altering your body’s metabolic function, PCOS often leads to fluctuating glucose levels. And it also impacts a number of other important hormones responsible for metabolism, such as insulin, ghrelin, and growth hormones (GH). By creating an imbalance in these hormones, PCOS frequently leads to the development of insulin resistance. This problem affects as many as 65-70% of women with PCOS, and typically leads to weight gain as your body stops using glucose for energy and turns it into fat for storage instead.

Chronic Inflammation

By causing the growth of cysts on your ovaries, PCOS often creates chronic low-grade inflammation in your body. Ongoing inflammation, in turn, further worsens the hormonal imbalance and metabolic function, promoting weight gain.

Other Contributing Factors

PCOS affects your body in many negative ways. It can promote sleep issues, boost hunger hormones, and create more severe food cravings. Not less important, it promotes ongoing stress and leads to increased cortisol levels in your body. Together, all these negative symptoms can also contribute to the formation of PCOS belly fat.

And then there are also a few important contributing factors that are not directly linked to PCOS but can either promote or help manage weight gain. These include your genetics, eating patterns, and lifestyle, in general. Additionally, weight gain depends a lot on whether you treat your PCOS symptoms or not.

PCOS Belly vs Fat Belly

Now that you know about the potential causes of PCOS belly fat, you might also be wondering what makes this type of belly fat special and why it’s often so hard to get rid of. To answer this question, it’s important to understand the two primary types of fat in the body:

• Subcutaneous fat is fat that’s stored under the skin. It’s soft to the touch and creates a soft-looking, pinchable belly. This type of fat can be rather hard to lose.
• Visceral fat, on the other hand, is located much deeper, around your internal organs. Although everyone has a thin layer of such fat that acts as a protective cushion, its overgrowth is linked to numerous health risks. Since it’s located very deep inside, visceral fat cannot be seen, and it creates a harder, more protruding belly. Despite its risks, visceral fat is generally not as stubborn as subcutaneous, meaning that it’s easier to lose.

PCOS most frequently causes an accumulation of deep, visceral fat. This gives a very special characteristic to the PCOS belly. It doesn’t look as soft and pinchable as a regular fat belly. Instead, it looks more round, firm, and bloated. It also often feels hard to touch.

The bad news is that such a belly can look less aesthetic and cause body image and self-confidence issues. The good news is that it’s easier to lose and there are quite many ways to manage PCOS belly fat.

How to Lose PCOS Belly Fat

Although PCOS belly fat is a common thing, of course, the majority of women with PCOS are actively seeking ways to manage it. After all, excessive body fat can greatly affect one’s body image and self-confidence. So, if you’re wondering how to lose PCOS belly fat, be sure that you’re not alone there.

The good news? Managing PCOS belly is quite possible. However, it requires a holistic approach and, of course, a bit of effort. Here are the main recommendations you should follow to drop PCOS belly fat:

Adjust Your Diet

As a hormonal condition that comes with many accompanying symptoms, PCOS requires following a smart, well-balanced diet. One that will support your hormonal balance and reduce inflammation. It’s also important to mind insulin resistance in your diet and opt for insulin-sensitizing foods. Some of the best PCOS-friendly diet options that match all the aforementioned requirements include:

• Low-GI diet
• Keto diet
• Mediterranean diet
• DASH diet

Also, remember about proper hydration, as it’s the foundation of overall health and well-being.

Improve Your Daily Physical Activity

Regular exercise and general activity have been linked to improved hormonal health by multiple studies. On top of supporting your hormonal balance, physical activity helps support mental health and burn excess calories. Respectively, they play an important role in managing PCOS belly fat.

Start moving more actively throughout the day, for example, by choosing walks instead of public transport or doing more at-home chores every day. Also, consider establishing a thoughtful PCOS belly fat exercise routine.

But be sure to avoid aggressive training that can spike cortisol, increase fatigue, or create energy crashes, which can worsen PCOS symptoms. Some of the worst exercises that women with PCOS should avoid include:

• Too frequent high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
• Excessive cardio.
• Long-distance running.
• Intense weightlifting.
• And similar.

Instead of these, focus on time-tested and effective PCOS belly fat exercise options, such as:

• Steady-state cardiovascular workouts.
• Occasional HIIT workouts.
• Interval training.
• Mind-body exercises like pilates and yoga.
• Strength training (and core strength workouts, in particular).

Implement Mental Health Management Techniques

Since PCOS triggers increased cortisol levels, which can also contribute to gaining PCOS belly fat, it’s important to pay additional attention to your mental well-being while addressing the weight problem.

Try different techniques to support your mental health. In particular, you can practice journaling, meditation, and breathing. Also, practicing self-care can help reduce stress while also taking care of other PCOS symptoms.

Prioritize Guided PCOS Treatment

Last but not least, if you’re wondering how to lose PCOS belly fat, you need to understand that it’s just one of the symptoms that arise from this condition. Respectively, receiving proper treatment can help minimize it while improving your overall health.

Although PCOS is a chronic problem that cannot be cured in full, there are many treatment options that can greatly improve its symptoms. Consider seeing your healthcare provider for an accurate diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan that will help you address the symptoms that bother you the most.

FAQ

How do I tell whether I have accumulated PCOS belly fat?

While there is no special test for this, usually, you should be able to see a clear difference between a PCOS belly vs fat belly. Firstly, pay attention to the appearance of your belly. If it’s round, firm, and hard, there is a good chance that you’re storing visceral fat. But most importantly, pay attention to your waist-to-hip ratio. If it’s over 0.87, it can signal the presence of PCOS belly fat.

What if I’m not diagnosed with PCOS but notice a PCOS belly?

If you notice the growth of a firm, round, and bloated belly with an abnormal waist-to-hip ratio, it might be a signal to talk to a healthcare provider, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with PCOS or another chronic condition earlier. The accumulation of excessive visceral fat nearly always means the presence of a deeper issue. It doesn’t necessarily have to be PCOS. But it could indicate issues like a hormonal imbalance, inflammation, insulin resistance, or another condition.

Is it possible to maintain a healthy body mass index with PCOS?

Yes, it is possible. Although uncontrolled weight gain affects a huge share of women with PCOS, it doesn’t affect 100% of them. Some females diagnosed with this condition stay lean and maintain a healthy BMI, despite PCOS. This is usually called lean or skinny PCOS, and it can arise from a mix of genetic and environmental/lifestyle factors that help women stay lean despite their condition.

Furthermore, it’s also possible to maintain a healthy BMI even if you have regular PCOS and are prone to gaining weight. In this case, a combination of proper PCOS treatment, a balanced diet, and other lifestyle improvements can help you get rid of PCOS belly fat and improve other symptoms along the way.

Conclusion

PCOS belly fat is one of the many possible symptoms of this condition and, often, one of the most bothersome ones. As you now know, it can be caused by a combination of factors, such as a hormonal imbalance, insulin resistance, lifestyle, and others. Luckily, even if you’re facing it, it’s possible to manage this symptom and drop excess belly fat.

Use the knowledge and tips from this article to manage PCOS belly fat effectively and feel confident every day.

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