The Truth About Belly Fat

Can Whole Grains Help You Lose Belly Fat? continued...

When you eat refined foods like white bread, it triggers a series of events, starting with elevated blood sugar levels followed by an increased insulin response, which can cause fat to be deposited more readily. But eating a diet rich in whole grains (which also tend to be higher in fiber) helps improve insulin sensitivity. This, in turn helps the body more efficiently use blood glucose, lowers blood glucose levels, and reduces fat deposition.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's 2005 Dietary Guidelines recommends that half of your grain servings come from whole grains.

"Eating whole grains exclusively may be difficult and unrealistic for many people," says Rosenbloom. Instead, she recommends, "work toward consuming more whole grains, as they tend to be high in fiber, which satisfies hunger for longer periods and helps you eat less than refined grains."

Can Monounsaturated Fats Banish Belly Fat?

A recent diet book called The Flat Belly Diet posits the idea that you can lose belly fat by eating a 1,600-calorie diet rich in monounsaturated fats.

Most people will lose weight on a 1,600-calorie diet. And there is little question that when it comes to choosing fats, the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAS) found in avocados, nuts, seeds, olives, soybeans, chocolate, olive and canola oils are among the best choices, with proven health benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart disease.

But these are not magic foods capable of targeting belly fat, experts note. While the MUFAS are healthy fats, they are still fats, with nine calories per gram -- more than twice that of carbohydrates and proteins, which have four calories per gram.

"Fats have to be controlled, because it is easy to overeat nuts or guacamole -- which can undo the health benefits by packing on the pounds," cautions Rosenbloom.

Can Exercise Flatten Your Abs?

Hundreds of crunches each day won't flatten your belly if you need to lose weight. If your abdominal muscles aren't covered with excess fat, strengthening them can help you look tighter and thinner. But spot exercises won't banish belly fat.

"If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you must eat a healthy, controlled-calorie diet and get regular exercise -- around 60 minutes a day of moderate activity, like brisk walking," says Rosenbloom.

And the harder you exercise, the more belly fat you may lose. Jensen suggests that people who engage in high-intensity aerobic exercise tend to be leaner around the abdomen.