There are no foods that flatten your stomach. Men carry more weight around their waist and women deposit more fat on their waist as they get older, especially during the menopausal transition. As “waist” fat is an extra risk factor for heart disease it is a good idea to measure your waist regularly. If you are reducing your waist circumference then you are losing body fat. Health risks for disease such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and others increase with a waist greater than 94 centimeters for men and 80cm for women and risks are greatly increased when your waist is greater than 102 centimeters for men and 88cm for women. You can get more “waist” information at the Measure Up website www.measureup.gov.au              

The main advice is to keep a food diary for at least a week so that you have an idea of what your current fat and Calorie intake is. To further reduce your heart disease risk, specifically try to cut down saturated fat and you can get a list of these foods from the Smart Eating page on the Dietitians Association of Australia website.          

If you have “bloating” that does not go away with healthy eating, then see your GP as this can be associated with some medical conditions.

Dr Clare Collins