For most of my life, I was in a deeply committed relationship with bread. We were inseparable – crusty rolls for breakfast, sandwiches for lunch, and bread with dinner, warm and chewy. Around my early 30s, I noticed something wasn’t quite right. My once-flat midriff had begun to slowly morph into what can only be described as an ever-expanding “muffin top.” Ironically, muffins were also part of the problem.
It, the midriff, grew and grew, and I was BIG during my 40s! One thing I had going for me: I always worked out, and hard. However, that didn’t keep me from looking like an extra for the humans populating the spaceship in the Wall-E movie. Then a doctor with very bad bedside manners told me if I didn’t do something about my visceral fat, I’d be dead in six months. Two things sprang to my mind at that point. Number one: what an incredible shithead that guy was, and number two: what the heck is visceral fat?
I never went back to that doctor. I did look up what visceral fat is: “hidden” fat that wraps around your internal organs, like your liver, pancreas, and intestines. Think of it as the toxic roommate you never wanted but somehow ended up with. Unlike the fat you can pinch, visceral fat works silently from the inside, messing with your hormones and cranking up inflammation. Let’s get this straight: it’s not about how you look in the mirror—it’s about the sneaky troublemaker putting you at risk for serious health issues like heart disease and diabetes, which incidentally can be an issue even if you appear slim on the outside.
My partner insisted that even if that doctor was way out of line and should leave the caring profession to become a stonemason (apologies to any stonemasons reading this!), we also decided it was time to act. We hooked me up with a nutritionist. When I first saw her, I was at 103 kg. She set me up with a nutritional plan but was happy with the way I was working out. I’m as stubborn as a mule when I decide on something. That works wonders (although just as often it causes problems). Her plan was simple. First restrict my calorie intake to 1,600 calories a day. Then progress to tightening up the proportions I ate from each of the three food groups (e.g., fat, protein, and my best friend carbs). It was clear from the beginning that I was a carb monster.
I stayed with the nutritionist for a little over a year and managed to get down to 85 kg. Even at that weight, I sadly never quite lost the muffin top. My face and neck, my legs, all of it became smaller, but the midriff held…
After that chapter with a nutritionist, I slowly crept up in weight again. I never got back to the 100s, but I was back in the lower 90s. That’s where I stayed until two years ago when I impulsively decided to drop bread products from my life. I could tell a story about soul-searching, being struck by lightning, or a revelation that came to me on a pilgrimage. Nope. I woke up and decided no more bread. I also went pretty strict on my calorie intake, back down to 1,600 per day.
And that was the moment that the stubborn tummy fat that had been my constant companion began to melt away. Today, I’m at an easy 73 kg, which could be lower if I were willing to sacrifice muscle, which I’m not. But was it all just a coincidence, or was there science behind this transformation?
The bread epidemic
It turns out, I’m not alone in my bread addiction. In the United States, the average person consumes a whopping 53 pounds of bread per year. In Europe, the numbers are even more staggering: EU citizens gobble up about 50 kg (110 pounds) of bread per person annually, with Germans and Austrians leading the pack at 80 kg (176 pounds) per year.
As the Euro-American love for bread has grown, so have our waistlines. In the U.S., 58.2% of women and 57.6% of men now have abdominal obesity. The situation in Europe isn’t much better, with obesity rates doubling in many countries since the 1980s. It’s like we’ve all been secretly competing in a “who can grow the biggest bread belly” contest, and unfortunately, we’re all winning.
The science behind bread and belly fat
So, what’s the connection between bread and the bulge? A study published in the journal Nutrients found that higher bread consumption was associated with a higher risk of general and abdominal obesity. But it’s not just any bread – white bread seems to be the main culprit. It’s like the supervillain of the bread world, masquerading as an innocent slice but plotting world domination through our waistlines.
A Spanish study presented at the European Congress on Obesity revealed that eating three or four slices of white bread per day increased the risk of becoming overweight or obese by 40% compared to eating just one portion a week. Another Spanish study , in PREDIMED, found that participants who ate the most white bread gained 0.76 kg more in weight and 1.28 cm more in waist circumference than those who ate the least over four years. That’s right, folks – your daily sandwich habit might be slowly turning you into a human baguette.
Take note: carbs are not the enemy
Now, before you go tossing out all your carbs faster than a stale loaf, let’s get one thing straight: carbohydrates are not the enemy. In fact, they’re essential for various bodily functions, including brain function and energy production. The Institute of Medicine recommends that 45-65% of daily calories come from carbohydrates, after all. Without carbs, we’d all be walking around like zombies, unable to remember where we put our keys or why we walked into a room.
The key is choosing the right carbs. If that were only so easy! Based on recent data from UK supermarkets, the majority of bread products available are not whole grain. According to a study conducted between November 21-25, 2023, across seven major UK retailers (Aldi, ASDA, Morrisons, Iceland, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, and Co-op):
- Only 16% of all staple carbohydrate options (including bread, pasta, rice, and noodles) were wholegrain, brown, or 50:50 products.
- Specifically for bread, just over a quarter (26%) of bread loaves available were wholegrain, brown, or 50:50 options.
This means that approximately 74% of bread products in typical UK supermarkets are not whole grain bread. And it is precisely refined bread that is the problem. It’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack, except the needle is whole grain bread, and the haystack is a mountain of refined carbs trying to sabotage your waistline and your health.
Whole grains are a different story. A UK-based review found that whole grain bread consumption was not associated with weight gain. It’s like the superhero of the bread world, swooping in to save us from our refined carb-induced muffin tops.
Protein wins the fullness fight
As I began to cut back on bread, I tried to reach for protein-rich alternatives. Luckily, I’m a carnivore, so that proved an achievable goal. It would certainly be more difficult for non-meat-eaters. One great thing: I felt fuller for longer. This wasn’t just in my head (or my tummy) – research has shown that high-protein meals can increase feelings of fullness and reduce subsequent calorie intake compared to high-carbohydrate meals. One study found that participants consumed 12% fewer calories over the course of a day when their protein intake was increased from 10% to 15% of total calories. It’s like protein is the bouncer at the tummy club, keeping those pesky hunger pangs at bay.
One absolute negative about increasing protein intake: it hurts the wallet! Diets with reduced carbohydrate content are considerably more expensive, effectively decreasing this option to choose healthier food for people with low income. Switching to protein feels like grocery shopping in two different worlds—bread is the dollar store bargain bin, while protein-rich foods are the designer boutique where even the price tags made me sweat with fright.
My bread-free journey
People ask me if cutting back on bread was hard. No. I happen to be extremely good at saying no, as I mentioned earlier. Ok, there are times when I longingly eye the breadbasket at restaurants or find myself peering into the many bakeries where tasty croissants are piling up in tantalizing ways. But as the weeks went by, the definite changes in my waistline were breathtaking. I still have my carbs but mostly in other ways than bread. I am now fond of corn tortillas and rice cakes. And the carbs coming from beer and wine are also not cut out of my life. Mind you, while I don’t track calories as rigidly as during the first six months of this two-year journey, I have a pretty good idea about my input, so that does keep excess at bay. It’s like I’ve become a carb accountant, balancing my books with the beer dividends.
The shape of society
It’s fascinating to consider how our dietary habits might be shaping society – quite literally. While it’s overly simplistic to blame bread alone for this ‘shape shifting’, the research does suggest it plays a role, particularly in Western countries where bread consumption is high.
I’m not suggesting everyone needs to break up with bread, just that it might be worth reassessing your relationship with this staple food. Everyone’s body is different. What worked for me might not work for you. I’m just saying: figure out what you want your body to be and look at what you put into it. And then, try something new!
As for me, I’m enjoying my new, bread-light lifestyle. My muffin top has become more of a barely-there cupcake, maybe one day it’ll just be a crumb. And full disclosure here– I do indulge in the occasional crusty role. Because it’s always worth remembering that life’s too short not to enjoy a little slice of happiness now and then.