Expert: Ask Suz - 7/23/2007

Question
Hi
Now that I am getting older(late 40's) I am starting to look like my Father and uncles,who all had a very pronounced abdomen.
Unlike them,I exercise and eat healthy.
My abdomen is actually quite firm but it sticks way out,and can be uncomfortable.
Is this a genetic trait that I cant change,or could it be related to a hormone imbalance or food allergy that I share but can do something about?
What about herbs or alternative medicine?
My last total physical I checked out A OK.

Answer
Hi Barry,
This is a very difficult problem. Yes, you have a genetic "tendency" working against you. I know of no herbs that would help. The answer that would help would involve a lifestyle change. Most people are not willing to change their life or don't have the time. In order to be given at least a chance of changing this you'd have to walk an hour three times a week. You should not drink beer and limit yeast foods like bread to almost none. A drastic solution would be a tummy tuck by a Board Certified Plastic Surgeon but you'd gain the weight back in time if you stopped the walking. You should never eat at a fast food place. I don't know what kind of exercise you do and I'm not qualified to comment on hormone imbalances in males (or in females for that matter who have an even harder time than males). The media is giving men and women a hard act to follow. That is, we are bombarded daily with tv showing us perfect bodies of famous people and we want to look like them. For most, it's a difficult goal to achieve in this country with our lifestyles of cheeseburgers and sitting down a lot in our jobs and at home. If I had the ambition to want to even approach looking like our role models I'd join a gym and go 3 times a week at least then rotate that with bike riding, drinking lots and lots of water daily and seeking the advice of a dietician who would design a personalized diet.
Good luck. I wish I could have offered you a "magic bullet" for this problem but the truth is it takes a lot of work to achieve a flat stomach as we age. Please write back if you have any more questions. Suz