A balanced diet is the best way to lose fat and maintain a healthy weight, and ditching certain drinks can help you achieve this.
Speaking exclusively to GB News, an expert explained why sugary drinks should be off your list when trying to lose weight.
Jennifer Pallian, registered dietician (BSc Food, Nutrition and Health, RD), explained the beverages are one of the biggest causes of belly fat.
She said: “Sugar-sweetened beverages are a huge culprit when it comes to belly fat, mainly because they’re packed with fructose, which doesn’t get processed the same way glucose does.
Fizzy drinks can cause weight gain
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“Unlike glucose, which is controlled by insulin, fructose bypasses that system and heads straight to the liver.
“There, it triggers fat production, specifically in the form of triglycerides, which get stored as visceral fat when excess sugar-sweetened beverages are consumed.”
The ingredients in fizzy drinks – and even some fruit juices – could make you more likely to see fat form around your stomach area. They are also high in calories, which dieters may not consider when trying to lose weight.
The expert continued: “Another issue with sugar-sweetened beverages is that liquid calories don’t fill us up the way solid foods do, so we end up consuming more overall calories.
“Plus, too much added sugars can lead to insulin resistance, which makes it easier for our bodies to store fat instead of burning it.”
Those who regularly drink sugary beverages could see quicker results if they cut back or remove these altogether.
The dietician added: “Cutting back on sugary drinks can be a game-changer, not only for belly fat but for overall metabolic health.
“Interestingly, diet fizzy drinks don’t seem to have the same effect, so it really is the added sugar (especially fructose) that’s driving the belly fat storage.”
Fruit juices can be high in sugar
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She said: “We all know stress can take a toll on our bodies, but did you know it’s directly linked to belly fat? When we’re stressed, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal HPA axis, the body’s primary stress response system, gets activated, ramping up cortisol production.
“This stress hormone encourages fat storage in the belly, especially by triggering lipoprotein lipase, an enzyme that encourages the accumulation of visceral fat; belly fat stored around your organs.
“The problem with visceral fat is that it’s more metabolically active than fat found in other areas of the body, and it’s linked to inflammation, insulin resistance, and even heart disease.”
