# "You can't target the fat loss area" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 20, 2016, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628 "2016-03-20T05:46:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/1 "2016-03-20T05:46:50Z")
Here: > **[Is coffee/caffeine good or bad for belly fat loss?](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=787710)** > > https://authoritynutrition.com/coffee-increase-metabolism/ So which ones are right? Or does it depend on the person? Sage Rat and ddsun said that you can’t target fat loss in an area. (ddsum said “…with a diet”) Here is a pic of Jeremy Clarkson’s belly: [![](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a8XumVj6Yto/TxCoz2G-f2I/AAAAAAAAAZA/c9GccH2YAqk/s1600/Jeremy-Clarkson-Belly.jpg) ](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a8XumVj6Yto/TxCoz2G-f2I/AAAAAAAAAZA/c9GccH2YAqk/s1600/Jeremy-Clarkson-Belly.jpg) If he was to lose weight would it involve something like halving the fat on his belly would involve halving the fat on his arms and legs? Or could a diet remove belly fat without affecting his arm and leg fat much? In this debate I am a fan of the book “The Belly Fat Cure” so I believe that belly fat (the visceral/organ kind) can be targeted. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/2 "2016-03-20T05:51:04Z")
Also here are some Sumo wrestlers: [http://d1udmfvw0p7cd2.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sp-sumo-a-20151122.jpg](http://d1udmfvw0p7cd2.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/sp-sumo-a-20151122.jpg) These ones don’t have much belly fat in comparison to their other fat. [https://www.caloriecount.com/forums/weight-loss/dont-sumo-wrestlers-heart-disease](https://www.caloriecount.com/forums/weight-loss/dont-sumo-wrestlers-heart-disease) “Body scans reveal that sumo wrestlers typically have little visceral fat, presumably because they exercise six to eight hours a day. Most of what hangs over their mawashis is subcutaneous fat” Visceral fat is linked to diabetes and heart disease and sumo wrestlers don’t have those health risks. BTW in this thread I want to say that it isn’t just about diet - “The Belly Fat Cure” optionally involves some exercise. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/3 "2016-03-20T05:53:31Z")
BTW my doctor also thinks that you can’t target the fat loss area but I’ve come to believe that this isn’t necessarily a fact if you have other knowledge… ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/4 "2016-03-20T05:56:19Z")
I did a quick search for “glucagon”: [http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/02/how-to-get-rid-of-belly-fat-and-build-strong-and-sexy-abs.aspx](http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/02/how-to-get-rid-of-belly-fat-and-build-strong-and-sexy-abs.aspx) “Eat as close to zero grams of sugar as possible. This will keep your insulin levels low, and also keep your glucagon levels high. Glucagon, a hormone, helps keep your belly flat” This is one of the key ideas in “The Belly Fat Cure Fast Track”. Perhaps most dieters aren’t knowledgeable of the hormone “glucagon”. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/5 "2016-03-20T06:01:03Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > I did a quick search for “glucagon”: > [How to Achieve Fat Loss and Build Six-Pack Abs](http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/02/how-to-get-rid-of-belly-fat-and-build-strong-and-sexy-abs.aspx) > “Eat as close to zero grams of sugar as possible. This will keep your insulin levels low, and also keep your glucagon levels high. Glucagon, a hormone, helps keep your belly flat” > > This is one of the key ideas in “The Belly Fat Cure Fast Track”. > > Perhaps most dieters aren’t knowledgeable of the hormone “glucagon”. Throw that cite away and never look back. It’s from “Dr” Joseph Mercola. He’s a huckster and a shill and not someone from whom one should seek advice. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/6 "2016-03-20T06:18:10Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Throw that cite away and never look back. It’s from “Dr” Joseph Mercola. He’s a huckster and a shill and not someone from whom one should seek advice. Ok thanks I’ll look more into glucagon. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/7 "2016-03-20T07:39:23Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Throw that cite away and never look back. It’s from “Dr” Joseph Mercola. He’s a huckster and a shill and not someone from whom one should seek advice. [http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/02/how-to-get-rid-of-belly-fat-and-build-strong-and-sexy-abs.aspx](http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/02/how-to-get-rid-of-belly-fat-and-build-strong-and-sexy-abs.aspx) Yes it is on [Mercola.com](http://Mercola.com) but it says “ **Yahoo Health** has assembled 10 expert tips to keep your stomach flat and lean” So far I haven’t found an authoritative source about glucagon and belly fat. BTW all of the official Belly Fat Cure websites are dead including a community run Facebook page. Jorge Cruise has a new diet that is vegan for breakfast and allows grains and a lot of fruit. The Belly Fat Cure was paleo plus cream and cheese (and very dark chocolate) and didn’t allow grains and considered fruit to be (nature’s) candy that could be eaten in small amounts as a treat. Here is Jorge in the Belly Fat Cure Fast Track book: [http://jorgecruiseonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Screen-Shot-2014-12-24-at-9.11.44-AM.png](http://jorgecruiseonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Screen-Shot-2014-12-24-at-9.11.44-AM.png) I’m not sure how much of the belly is from his posture. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/8 "2016-03-20T07:49:38Z")
If one diet results in more visceral fat loss while another diet results in more subcutaneous fat loss and people can choose which way it is I think that is a win for this debate. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/9 "2016-03-20T07:57:33Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > Ok thanks I’ll look more into glucagon. Um, I don’t think you really listened to what I said. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/10 "2016-03-20T08:04:30Z")
> [@JohnClay](#): > > If one diet results in more visceral fat loss while another diet results in more subcutaneous fat loss and people can choose which way it is I think that is a win for this debate. There is no difference between visceral fat and subcutaneous fat, other than where it’s found in the body. Visceral fat is just fat located in a troublesome area (namely around the internal organs in the gut-area). But it’s not a different _substance_. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/11 "2016-03-20T09:18:48Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > Um, I don’t think you really listened to what I said. 😛 Do you mean that anything that appears on “Dr” Joseph Mercola’s website is a lie? [http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/02/how-to-get-rid-of-belly-fat-and-build-strong-and-sexy-abs.aspx](http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/02/how-to-get-rid-of-belly-fat-and-build-strong-and-sexy-abs.aspx) “Size matters: Eating portion-controlled meals will reduce your abdominal flab.” So I guess that has no evidence as well? 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/12 "2016-03-20T09:59:27Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#): > > There is no difference between visceral fat and subcutaneous fat, other than where it’s found in the body. Visceral fat is just fat located in a troublesome area (namely around the internal organs in the gut-area). But it’s not a different _substance_. Interesting… though I wonder why having fat around the gut organs would be related to heart disease. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/13 "2016-03-20T11:00:44Z")
BTW weight can also be lost that comes from the belly area that isn’t fat… so-called “false” belly fat… the Belly Fat Cure says it is “Trapped waste matter that adds pounds and inches to the belly, and can also interfere with the absorption of nutrients and healthy digestion”. > **[Do you really need a colon cleanse?](https://www.livescience.com/48482-colon-hydrotherapy-risks-side-effects.html)** > > Unless you're prepping for a colonoscopy, probably not. > [@](#): > > …A person who does a cleanse may initially lose a few pounds, but that is a temporary loss, resulting from the removal of water weight and stool, and not from a permanent loss of fat… The book is not about colon cleansing exactly though it is about colon movement and promotes the use of probiotics. If that doesn’t work his next step is to increase intake of “super carbs” such as broccoli, then try a soluble fiber supplement, then see if there is a salt imbalance, then see if a magnesium supplement is needed. ---
**Author:** ![JohnClay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@JohnClay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnClay)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/14 "2016-03-20T11:07:25Z")
It seems that “colon” means the large intestine. The diet also would be about movement in the small intestine as well. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2016, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/you-cant-target-the-fat-loss-area/749628/15 "2016-03-20T12:01:51Z")
Appears to be more of a blog than a great debate. JohnClay, when you post here, think more about where it should go and whether you’re truly interested in a discussion. Perhaps a blog is more in order.