It's not just unhealthy foods that lead to belly fat. Everyday habits can quietly add inches to your waist through unexpected mechanisms.
1. Living on a Busy Road
Research in Occupational & Environmental Medicine shows that regular exposure to traffic noise raises your risk of wider hips by 29%. Constant sounds from cars, trains, or planes trigger cortisol—a stress hormone tied to abdominal fat storage. Cortisol floods your blood with sugar for quick energy, stalling fat burning until those sugars are used up.
Near a busy road or flight path? Play classical music at home; studies from the London Centre for Performance Science confirm it lowers cortisol. Noise-canceling earplugs work too.
2. Multitasking
As highlighted in the previous Santé issue's monotasking feature, multitasking harms your waistline. Read the full details this month in Santé, plus the other five waist-widening factors. Order Santé online now and get Glossy free.
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