cover image Belly Fat Breakthrough: Understand What It Is, Lose It Fast

Belly Fat Breakthrough: Understand What It Is, Lose It Fast

Stephen Boutcher. S&S/Gallery, $24 (224p) ISBN 978-1-4767-7550-0

Boutcher, an associate professor at the University of New South Wales, here offers the results of a decade spent researching excess belly fat and developing a program to keep it off. His plan is centered upon interval sprint training for 20 minutes three days per week, supported by a Mediterranean eating plan and adequate amounts of sleep (inadequate amounts, he notes, are related to increased belly fat). Boutcher clearly explains why belly fat can pose a risk: increased weight in this area has been linked to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, inflammation, hypertension, sleep apnea, and breast and other forms of cancer. The text takes readers through the process of choosing and using the right bike and examines the program's effects on specific populations, such as people with heart disease or diabetes, or postmenopausal women. Other benefits include increased leg and abdominal muscle mass and improved aerobic fitness. This straightforward, no-frills program for reducing belly fat will appeal to readers seeking an uncomplicated, swift solution. Boutcher's inclusion of his long-term research lends additional credibility to his four-pillared (interval sprinting, healthy eating, good quality sleep, and stress control) approach to health and wellness. Agent: Sophy Williams, Black Inc. (Sept.)