So Bloated

We are well into winter and the lure of eating moreish, filling foods is strong. But your stomach is feeling more stuffed than your thick winter socks in designer boots. We’ve got your debloating solution

- Hannah Ebelthite

There’s a certain feeling that, despite having a rich and varied vocabulary at your disposal, is best articulated as “meh”. You have zero spare cash, your skin’s drier than Jimmy Carr’s wit and, despite staying true to your workout schedule since 2 January, your middle looks like you’ve swallowed a balloon. Winter can get stuffed.

At least take comfort from the fact that we’re all in this together. While there’s no evidence to suggest the drop in temperature is to blame for your rounder middle, research does show that you’re inclined to consume more kilojoules when it gets cold. A study published in the European Journal Of Clinical Nutrition found that participants ate 359 more kilojoules per day in autumn than they did in spring – and chose foods that were higher in fat. Start in autumn, throw in festive indulgence (them chocolate Easter eggs) and you’re bound to be feeling the effects round about now. Plus, the foods you reach for are likely to be those of the stodgy, comforting kind – you know, the ones the human body isn’t that keen on digesting. Back in the day, there was a need to store fat during the colder months when food was scarce. Now, you can order grub to your bed in the deepest depths of winter.

UNDER PRESSURE

So, along with potentially carrying a few more kilos, you’re fit to burst, which is easier to fix. “Bloating is a symptom, rather than a diagnosis in itself, so there is no medical definition as such,” explains Peter Whorwell, professor of medicine and gastroenterology at the University of Manchester in the UK. “From my experience of treating patients who report feeling bloated, the best way I can describe it is a feeling of pressure in the abdomen. Some people will report discomfort, others will experience distension of the stomach.”