It’s easy to have a love and hate relationship with your stomach when it changes so much, you can go from looking toned and defined to feeling bloated within a matter of hours, so it’s no wonder they’ve been voted the most hated body party.
An overwhelming majority of the British public voted the stomach as the least favourite body part in new research undertaken by cosmetic surgery specialist, Transform.
Brits of all ages, genders and location have admitted that their abdominal area is by far the most-hated part of their body with the majority also admitting to trying to minimise this particular asset with the way they dress.
But there are ways to a flatter stomach, we took a look at the top three ways you can get a flatter stomach - and it’s not about crunches and sit ups.
Do you have body hang-ups?
Transform created a ‘Brits and Their Bodies’ tool, which analysed the data of 2,000 UK respondents, it revealed how men and women across the nation perceive their bodies, highlighting the particular areas of the body that men and women favour and feel more confident about.
The stomach looks to be the most unloved, however, as just 4% admitted that it was their favourite feature, whilst 39% said it was their most disliked body part.
What’s surprising though, it isn’t the 25-34 females you might suspect who are the most conscious of their midriffs, it’s those aged 45-55 who were most likely to label it their least favourite body part and men were almost equally in dislike of the area as women.
Steven Taylor from Transform Cosmetic Surgery commented that losing weight on the stomach can be difficult, even more so as we age. It's hard because it can cause body anxiety for so many people.
Give your stomach some love
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What you can do to change it
You have the power to change the parts of your body through diet and exercise, so it's time to make a plan. As the countdown to holiday begins, this feeling usually gets even stronger, as we put pressure on ourselves to look 'our best'.
Instead of going on another strict diet and surviving on green juices and air, why not include foods, that will actually help to lose fat around your middle?
We asked Dr Marilyn Glenville, leading nutritionist and author of Fat Around the Middle for her five top foods to get a flat stomach:
Whole grain options
Avoid refined carbohydrates that are processed and leave you with a blood sugar that rises quickly, instead choose whole grain options where you can. These release energy slowly and contain more fibre, which keeps you fuller for longer, and is also beneficial to for gut health too.
Legumes
Legumes are another food that will keep you fuller for longer too, plus they count towards one of your five-a-day too.
Legumes are also a great source of protein
Fish
Fish is an excellent source of protein, as well as being a source of essential fatty acids like omega 3. These can help aid your metabolism which helps with burning fat. Plus, the fact that they're a protein means you'll be fuller for longer too.
Eggs
An essential amino acid in eggs, leucine, helps with weight loss because it stabilises the blood sugar levels and encourages the body shed fat, according to research.
Another great protein source, they're great to eat at any time of the day and even snack on throughout.
Walnuts
Walnuts are great for fat loss because they boost your metabolism, they're also a great source of omega 3, which the body needs to stay health. They're also high in magnesium which is great for energy levels as well as balancing sugar levels too.