Mind body

Poof goes the tummy pooch

AP Dr. Carol Otis, right, works with massage therapist Neil McGillis to demonstrate a core strengthening exercise. Otis recommends exercising your whole body even if you are trying to target one area.

Washboards. Six-packs. No matter what they're called, muscular, lean abdominals are an obsession for some Americans.

"So many people have the tummy pooch because it's a hard area to tone," said Dr. Susan Lewis, an orthopedic surgeon at St. Francis Memorial hospital in San Francisco. "Even a thin person will be a little flabby if they're not working on the area."

Lose the sugar: One of the easiest ways to get rid of belly fat is to cut processed sugar and white flour from the diet, said Dr. Fred Pescatore, author of The Hamptons Diet. That includes everything from sodas to pretzels. "Even the skinniest of skinny people can lose about 5 pounds this way," he said. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are good choices since they are loaded with fiber and will make you feel full.

Small changes: Dr. Carol L. Otis, a sports medicine physician in Portland, Ore., suggests small lifestyle changes, such as cutting 200 calories a day. That's the equivalent of about one regular soda or one candy bar. She also suggests burning an extra 200 calories a day, the equivalent of walking for about half an hour.

Gotta work it: She said people can't forego exercise in firming up abdominals, but they also can't expect to address it with spot-training alone. Instead, they have to lose weight all over to see results. That means increasing cardiovascular exercise and weight-training, which helps increase metabolism. Once the fat starts to melt away, the muscle underneath will start to show.

To the core: Otis cited recent research that shows focusing on stabilizing the body's core is an effective way to tone abdominals. She said exercises that focus on the deep abdominal muscles, the gluteus maximus as well as the back can improve strength as well as posture. "We're finding that the core of the body is in that lower trunk area," she said. "When those muscles are toned and worked out, then even simple things such as lifting groceries is easier."

Still there: However, all the exercise in the world may not take away every ounce of fat. People might have to accept that they might be genetically predisposed to having a little tummy pooch. Even some Olympic athletes can have little pockets of fat. "In all the studies, no one has ever shown that there is one special trick that will make you lose weight in one certain area," Lewis said. "It's all about calories in and calories out."