If You’re Over 50 and Want To Lose Belly Fat, These Are the Top Foods To Avoid

Kaitlin Vogel
·6 min read
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Doctors and nutritionists weigh in.

Let’s face it: as we age, we realize we can’t eat carbs multiple times a day the way we used to be able to or indulge in sweet treats without packing on extra pounds. Metabolism changes as we get older, and as a result, we're required to be more health-conscious.

“Belly fat often accumulates more over 50 due to a variety of causes, such as a decrease in lean muscle mass, a decrease in metabolic rate, an increase in stress hormones, a decrease in hormone production, an unhealthy diet and a lack of physical activity,” says Dr. Mary Sabat, MS, RD, LD. “As we age, our bodies become less efficient at metabolizing calories, leading to a decrease in lean muscle mass and an increase in fat storage.”

Additionally, certain hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, decrease in production with age, which can cause an imbalance and lead to increased fat storage in the abdominal area, Sabat adds. With that in mind, here are the top foods to avoid if you're over 50 (or any age, really!) and looking to reduce belly fat.

Worst Foods for Belly Fat if You're Over 50

1. Soda

Regular soda is packed with added sugar. There are up to nine teaspoons of sugar in a typical 12-ounce can, and a study of more than 14,000 men showed that even moderate consumption of soda (and other sugar-sweetened beverages) increases weight gain and the risk of developing obesity.

These extra calories pile up in your fat cells, making soda a major red flag when it comes to excess belly fat, Dr. William Li, MD, explains.

And if you're thinking diet soda is the answer here, think again: A study of 749 people over 50 showed that drinking diet soda was correlated with a waist circumference that was almost four times bigger than people who did not drink diet soda.

This is likely because of the effect artificial sweeteners have on the gut microbiome (healthy gut bacteria). In short, they damage it. Normally healthy bacteria help your metabolism process blood lipids and regulate body fat, Dr. Li states. Because artificial sweeteners disrupt these healthy bacteria, body fat tends to increase, despite the “non-nutritive” properties of diet soda.

Related: Does Diet Soda Cause Belly Fat? Nutritionists Share the Truth

2. Ultra-processed snack foods

Ultra-processed foods contain many synthetic chemicals including artificial preservatives, flavorings and color that can disrupt your fat metabolism. These chemicals can introduce harmful free radicals into your body, which damage fat cells and causes inflammation, Dr. Li explains. The chemicals can also damage your gut microbiome which details your metabolism, and your body’s ability to burn excess fat.

Ultra-processed foods also are depleted of nutrients that would normally be found in whole foods. Those nutrients are used by the body to help manage the growth of fat in the belly and elsewhere. When the nutrients are absent, fat is free to grow.

Additionally, ultra-processed foods often contain added sugar and saturated fat which promote obesity, Dr. Li adds. If you are over 50 and not very active but eat a lot of ultra-processed snacks and junk foods, you will almost certainly grow more belly fat.

3. Candy

Almost everyone loves candy, but most confections are empty calories, made of added sugar, as well as gut microbiome-harming artificial colors and flavors. Just take a look at the ingredients on the box of your favorite candy, and you’ll appreciate the chemical nature of eating candy, Dr. Li states.

High fructose corn syrup has been shown by researchers to specifically trigger the growth of fat cells (called adipocytes). More candy means more fat.

4. Fried foods

Many people love crispy foods like french fries, donuts and fried chicken—but studies have shown that eating fried foods is associated with obesity. The reason for this? Fried foods contain more calories, and they absorb the oil in which they are fried, Dr. Li explains.

One study from Spain examined more than 33,000 men and women including those older than 50 and found the risk of central obesity (bulging belly fat) to be increased by 17 percent in men, and 27 percent in women who ate the most fried food.

5. Fruit-flavored yogurts

Yogurt is a healthy probiotic food that, in its purest form, can improve gut health by introducing healthy bacteria. Plain yogurt is also associated with reduced weight and less body fat. This benefit, however, is countered when the yogurt contains added sugar, such as seen with yogurt that has a thick layer of sweetened fruit swirled into the container, Dr. Li states.

The sugar, often high fructose corn syrup, can fuel the growth of fat and adds extra calories. To fight belly fat, eat yogurt, but the unsweetened kind.

Related: Looking for Some Great Yogurt Options While On the Keto Diet? We've Got You Covered With These 10 Tasty Picks

6. Alcohol

If you drink alcohol—even in small amounts—it could be harming your gut health.

Alcohol can harm your gut microbiome, so it is essential to find a balance and determine how much alcohol to drink in order to protect your gut health, and therefore prevent excess belly fat, Liana Werner-Gray, certified nutritionist and natural food check explains. Also, alcohol contains a large number of calories with very little nutritional benefit, so they are relatively pointless calories to consume from a weight loss standpoint.

7. Foods that are high in saturated fat

These fats are found in deli meats, high-fat dairy and butter. Too much saturated fat can clog arteries and prevent blood flow to the brain, Werner-Gray states. Also, too much meat and high-fat dairy can change the makeup of the microbes in your gut. This will contribute to the accumulation of fat in your belly.

Next up: Belly Fat Can Be Stubborn, But Losing It Isn't Impossible—Here are 30 Different Ways to Make It Happen

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