The phenomenon known as potbelly is an undesirable disfigurement evident in the bloating up of the stomach. It is most times referred to as an executive affliction and a veritable occupational hazard of top executives which curiously enough, also has a psychological effect of threatening their self esteem and self pride.
Physical appearance ranks very high amongst the personal data that distinguishes an executive's self confidence and emotional adjustment in his job and social interactions. It is usually a great disappointment for one who had pride in his erstwhile handsome and trim physique to witness an uncontrollable protrusion of his belly. However, since it's not an irreversible condition here are a few helpful tips or suggestions to control the executive disfigurement.
There is an established casual relationship between diet, lifestyle and overweight. Overweight is an outcome of inadequate diet and lifestyle. Consumption of excessive fatty foods, carbohydrates and unregulated eating and drinking habits results in overweight. Top executives are unfortunately the right candidates for this problem. For one, they are likely to be affluent, pampered and spoilt with Rich foods and plenty of drinks both at home and at work. They are waited upon hand and foot with the result that they do little physical activity beyond mental work. They are also likey to be sedentary most of the time, in extra cooled environment that does not allow for sweating both at home and in the office. Of course, they are usually chauffeur driven, also in air-conditioned cars. In addition, the executives most times eat too much for endless business luncheons and parties. Official meetings are also pitfalls for browsing snacks, drinking tea, coffee, mineral water; all along, the executives may forget just how much they have eaten and drunk at these compelling business occasions. Since they do not match their excessive and unregulated food and drink intake with physical activities, they hoard all the fat in their bodies and suffer from overweight. It is, however, commonly reported that excessive drinking more than ingestion of solid food, causes the incidence of potbellies.
The first step to take to curb a bloating stomach is to limit the intake of beer and other alcoholic drinks and beverages. General control and regulation of diet is the right step to take towards weight control. Where it is not possible because of scarcity of the right diet components, the executive should control the quantity of the available food he eats and frequency of eating.
He (she) should also regulate the quantity of drink intake as excess liquid bloats up the tissues in addition to the ingested extra calories from some of the alcoholic drinks.
Regular physical exercise is another way of controlling the malaise of overweight and bloated stomach. A suitable mode of physical exercise such as lawn tennis,golf, jugging, cycling, walking etc., should be adopted with consultation of a medical doctor or a health and fitness coach like myself.
Rather than react negatively to their disfigurement, executives should be positive and take up the challenge to get back to shape. This is necessary because anything threatening to self image should be discouraged. One can quickly get back to shape if he is able to exercise self-restraint in the quantity of food and drinks ingested.
Furthermore, on tolerating the incidence of potbelly is the health hazard it portends. Potbelly could be a symptom of general degenerative health process. It is not unlikely to usher in high blood pressure and dangerous heart conditions that may need urgent medical intervention.
Thus from both the personal psychological perspective and from the medical angle, executive potbelly is an enemy - an occupational hazard - that requires urgent attention.