Men: Belly / Abdomen / Love handles

“Love handles” are fat deposits on the hips and abdominal area. They are quite common among women and also affect men.

They are easily noticeable when wearing tight-fitting clothes: love handles look more prominent and often protrude over the top of trousers. The figure loses its masculine “V” shape and looks less toned.

What causes love handles? First of all, it is important to understand that fat is composed of adipose cells (the adipocytes) which start to swell more when your body takes in too many calories or you do not burn as many calories as you consume. They build up energy reserves and “store” it. Over time, these fat cells become increasingly visible, particularly on specific areas. Although the whole body is covered in a layer of fat – with a thickness that varies from person to person – certain factors increase the likelihood of storing fat. In general, the factors contributing to the formation of love handles are:

• Hormones. In fact, abdominal fat accumulates quite stably as you age
• Lack of physical activity
• A diet that is too rich (fat, sugar and high-calorie foods)
• Lack of sleep
• Hormonal imbalance

In men, this fat most often remains on the hips, lower back or stomach. Once it appears, this deep fat is stubborn and becomes difficult to eliminate even with sport or dieting.