Hi, Ally,

I just want to clarify - are you 24 or are you nearing menopause? If you're the latter, there is a tendency for women to put on weight as they reach perimenopause. Barbara Seaman and Laura Eldridge in "The No-Nonsense Guide to Menopause" wrote, "Although we're not sure why , we know that women seem to start putting on weight at an accelerated rate between the ages of thirty-five and fifthy-five. Although certainly not all women will fight an intensified battle of the bulge, the number of obese women in the general population rises with each decade of life until the sixties and seventies,when it slows down a little." However, they report that some nutritionists blame this weight gain to diets high in trans fats, soft drinks, too much omega-6 fatty acids, and alcohol, along with sedentary lives and lower smoking rates (which actually is a good thing).

However, increased belly fat can lead to medical issues. Dr. Mehmet Oz provided good information on the Oprah show about what belly fat is and how to prevent it.

Take care and keep us posted.

Dorian