There always comes a moment in a person's life when the three words no one wants to hear emerge from one's mouth - Am I fat?
According to the World Population Review, the statistics are that the number of obese people has tripled since 1975.
This would mean that statistically, you may really be fat and your friends are sugar-coating it. Or maybe you’re just bloated…
Abdominal bloating is when your gastrointestinal tract is full of air or gas. Many people describe the feeling as feeling full, heavy, with painful abdominal colics.
Excessive gas and frequent burping are also amongst the effects that accompany the bloating sensation.
Sometimes it is really hard to sense the difference between being bloated and gaining weight. The reason is usually that you will feel bloated for long periods of time.
Not to mention that It will most probably affect your productivity and mess up your eating habits.
Why is this happening to me?
You may feel like you’re the only one that goes through the whole bloated abdominal situation, but don’t worry. It is actually a pretty common thing and here is why…
Most of our eating and drinking habits are the reason we get bloated. This could mean all the time If you don’t even know you’re doing these things.
For one, eating and drinking too fast will fill your digestive tract with gas, because of the quantity of air that you consume. Everyone swallows air when they eat or drink, but some people can swallow more than others.
Chewing gum and smoking also help this process to interfere with the amount of gas that goes through you.
Burping and flatulence are the results of your body trying to release all that excess gas. So don’t worry, It’s perfectly normal.
That is If It happens within a couple of hours after doing the activity. If you still feel bloated after a long period of time then the problem maybe a little bit more serious.
Sometimes you just don’t take care of your body, do you?
I know that from time to time every one of us tends to skip a meal, or get by on junk food, or gets up at 3 am and finishes the whole tray from the night before.
All these cheating rituals may very well be the culprit for your bloated stomach.
Things like IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (ulcers), and eating disorders have this exact effect on your body. They could possibly be the reason why you feel like you have a bowling ball in your intestine.
Other possible reasons are food intolerance and hormonal flux - the second one affects mainly women.
Last, but not least, we mustn't knock mental health problems and stress off the table. A lot of people have bloated abdominals from the stress that has been filling up through the years.
Okay, but what should I do?
A change in your lifestyle can go pretty far down the road. Small things like cutting back on chewing gum and carbonated drinks (If you feel like you’re constantly bloated).
Avoiding some foods that typically cause gas, like vegetables from the cabbage family, beans, lentils and etc., would help with the problem.
While we're on this topic you definitely should check what foods are best for your blood type.
And, of course, the more obvious thing you should do - especially If time goes by and nothing helps - is to see a doctor. Don’t take any of this lightly, It’s your body and your responsibility.
