Belly Rolls: Are They Normal?

What You Need to Know About Abdominal Fat

woman with stomach rolls sitting down

Philip and Karen Smith / Getty Images

Belly rolls are a common condition, especially while sitting. While it isn't possible to target one specific area for fat loss, there are things you can do to reduce abdominal fat and make it less noticeable.

Belly Rolls Are Normal

Having a few folds of abdominal fat around your belly is completely normal. In fact, fat is essential to health. Expecting a flat stomach after achieving a specific weight or fitness goal is unrealistic. If reducing the appearance of belly rolls is important to you, following a nutrition plan and/or increasing your fitness are two ways to approach your goal.

What Causes Abdominal Fat?

Belly rolls are normal, especially when your torso shortens upon sitting. The result is that you develop a few fleshy folds. Everyone, including thin people, gets excess fat around their belly button when their spine curves and midsection is compressed.

A few factors cause some to develop more abdominal fat than others:

  • Excess body fat: If your body fat percentage is higher, excess fat is likely sitting around your midsection, resulting in rolls that appear when standing or sitting.
  • Genetics: Research shows genetics account for 60% of the reason some store excess fat in their abdominal area. Your genes can also determine if the excess fat sits deeper inside your midsection (visceral fat) or if the fat stays closer to the skin (subcutaneous fat).
  • Poor posture: Just as belly rolls are more apparent when sitting versus standing due to a shortened torso, the same is true if you have poor posture. Leaning forward or slouching can both cause bigger or more prominent folds of skin.

Health Risks of Abdominal Fat

Having some belly fat is necessary to protect your organs. It is also essential in maintaining the body's functions and nutrition. But having too much carries risks. People who carry excess fat in the waist area are at higher risk for:

  • Glucose intolerance
  • Heart disease
  • High blood pressure
  • High cholesterol
  • Insulin resistance

Are you doomed to have health problems if you have abdominal fat? Of course not. However, it is important to examine your health to analyze how your genetics and risk factors contribute to your risk for disease.

How to Measure Visceral Fat

Given the lack of specific determinants of how much fat is too much, it's difficult but important to consider whether the amount of abdominal fat you carry increases your risk of disease. Two measurement methods can each easily be performed at home. (Both tests should be performed while standing.)

Waist Circumference

This measurement is taken around the abdomen at the level of the umbilicus (belly button). You'll need a flexible tape measure to perform this test. Once you take your waist circumference measurements, check what your results mean for you.

Waist-to-Hip Ratio

You can also compare your waist measurement to your hip measurement to get an estimate of your health risks. You'll need a flexible tape measure for this test, and you may want to use a calculator as well.

Can You Get Rid of Belly Fat?

If your home tests suggest you carry too much belly fat, see a healthcare professional who can talk to you about how your health history affects your risk for disease.

Exercise alone is unlikely to make a big difference in your belly rolls. Exercise helps your body burn more calories throughout the day. The extra calories you burn might help you reach the calorie deficit needed for weight loss, but you can't spot-reduce.

You can't do sit-ups and hope your waistline will get smaller.

How to Reduce Abdominal Fat

There are several ways to reduce abdominal fat. For the best results, perform each of the tips below in moderation to approach the issue from several angles.

Control Your Calories

A consistent, calorie-controlled, balanced diet for weight loss is a smart way to reduce your waistline. While you can't control where you lose weight, you will likely see positive changes in your upper and lower stomach fat.

Perform Cardio Exercise

You can also start a cardio exercise program for your fitness level, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your situation and needs. Walking is an excellent way to start.

Pump it up With Strength Training

The more muscle you have, the more calories your body burns—even at rest. Engage in a high-intensity weight training workout at least once a week to kick your belly fat-burning potential up a notch.

Stretch it Out

One way stretching helps reduce belly rolls is by helping your body eliminate stress since it can lead to emotional eating. Reducing stress enables you to make better food choices. Make total body stretches part of your regular fitness routine.

Start Core Training

Even though you can't spot-reduce belly rolls, developing a stronger core serves two purposes. It builds muscle, which increases your daily calorie burn. And a strong core contributes to a healthier posture while standing and sitting upright reduces the appearance of fat.

Get Adequate Sleep

Studies suggest a relationship between sleep restriction and decreased fat loss. In one study, researchers found that one hour of sleep restriction was linked to a reduced percentage of fat loss even though the amount of weight loss was the same compared with those with no sleep restriction. The Sleep Foundation recommends adults receive 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night.

If you combine a balanced program of cardiovascular exercise and strength training—like with the Triple Threat Belly Fat Workout—and throw in some stretching, too, you will likely see improvement in how your body looks and feels.

A Word From Verywell

Core training will help to improve your posture and burn calories, but sit-ups alone will not create noticeable weight loss. Diet, exercise, sleep, and stress management are the best ways to achieve your fitness and health goals.

7 Sources
Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Malia Frey

By Malia Frey, M.A., ACE-CHC, CPT
 Malia Frey is a weight loss expert, certified health coach, weight management specialist, personal trainer​, and fitness nutrition specialist.