Stomach bulges can have many causes, including bloating or food intolerances. Treatment may include dietary and lifestyle strategies, such as exercising, relieving stress, and improving sleep.

A bully bulge or feelings of bloating may occur after consuming excess calories or gaining weight over time.

However, hormonal changes, bloating, and other health conditions may also cause a protruding or pronounced belly.

Keep reading to learn more about the possible causes of belly bulge and what you can do about it.

A note on fat distribution

Everyone’s body is different. Many factors contribute to how fat is distributed.

These may include any combination of biological, social, cultural, and environmental factors.

If you’re concerned about your abdominal area, especially after making lifestyle changes, speak with a healthcare professional. They could answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Abdominal bloating is the feeling of pressure or swelling in the stomach.

Sometimes, bloating may be associated with abdominal distention, which is a visible swelling or extension of your belly.

Gas most commonly causes bloating. It may result from eating certain foods or too much, too quickly. Other common causes of bloating may include:

Treatment

Treatment for bloating depends on the underlying cause but may include a combination of lifestyle and dietary strategies, such as:

Ascites is a condition in which fluid builds up in your abdomen, causing your belly to bulge.

Liver scarring (cirrhosis) most commonly causes it, but ascites may also occur due to:

If left untreated, your abdomen may continue to get larger and the risk of infection also increases. This may lead to life threatening complications, such as spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.

Treatment

Treatment for ascites may include a combination of dietary changes and medical treatments, such as:

A ventral hernia is a bulge of tissues or organs that comes out of a weak part of your abdominal wall muscles.

Ventral hernias can either be acquired or congenital, which is when they are present at birth.

Causes of acquired ventral hernias may include:

  • previous abdominal surgery
  • repeated stress
  • trauma to your abdominal area

Treatment

Treatment for a ventral hernia usually involves surgery to remove the hernia.

Stress is a natural response to a perceived threat. When faced with a threat, a combination of nerve and hormonal signals tells your adrenal glands to release adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones.

Stress is associated with abdominal bloating, slower digestion, and constipation, which may contribute to a belly bulge.

Chronic stress is also linked with obesity and increased abdominal fat.

Treatment

Your body goes through several changes during pregnancy. A growing belly is the most obvious one.

You may lose around 13 pounds when you give birth, but it’s likely that you also gained more than that during your pregnancy.

Your belly bulge may also result from fluid retention or abdominal separation (diastasis recti).

Abdominal separation may occur during or after pregnancy. It happens when your growing uterus causes the two long muscles that run parallel in your abdomen to separate from each other.

Treatment

Treatment for post-pregnancy belly depends on the underlying cause. If you experience diastasis recti, a doctor may recommend a combination of:

Weight gain is usually spread throughout your body, but some people are more prone to gaining weight in their abdominal area than others.

Weight gain is typically caused by consuming more calories than you burn through regular bodily functions and physical activity. Other causes of weight gain may include:

  • sleep deprivation
  • stress
  • medications
  • underlying health conditions

Treatment

It’s not possible to limit weight loss to a specific part of your body, like your belly. The following tips may help you lose weight overall:

  • Get at least 150 minutes of exercise weekly, including aerobic, resistance, and abdominal training.
  • Eat at least five portions of fruits and vegetables daily.
  • Avoid foods high in sugar, trans fats, and refined carbs.
  • Limit alcohol.
  • Aim to lose up to 2 pounds weekly, no more.
  • Drink lots of water.

Getting enough good quality sleep can also help you lose weight and manage stress. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults get at least 7 hours of sleep per night.

Weight gain may occur during menopause. The hormonal changes that contribute to weight gain begin during perimenopause, a few years before menopause.

Menopausal weight gain primarily affects the abdominal area and upper body.

Factors that contribute to belly fat at this stage of life may include:

Treatment

Treatment for menopausal weight gain includes a combination of:

  • exercising
  • eating a well-balanced diet
  • reducing stress
  • getting enough sleep

There’s limited research on whether beer could cause a belly bulge.

However, regularly drinking beer might increase the size of your belly due to the increase in calorie consumption. Beer is usually a carbonated beverage, which may also lead to a buildup of gas that causes abdominal bloating.

Treatment

The best way to prevent a beer belly is to limit the amount of beer you drink.

According to the CDC, moderate alcohol consumption for adults is:

  • two drinks or fewer per day for males
  • one drink or fewer per day for females

Food intolerance, which is not to be confused with food allergy, is difficulty in digesting certain foods. It’s also called food sensitivity.

Food intolerance may cause abdominal bloating after eating certain foods. You might also have symptoms like gas, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

Lactose, gluten, and caffeine are common food intolerances.

Treatment

The best way to prevent food intolerance is to minimize or avoid foods that contain any trigger ingredients.

What causes your belly to bulge?

Some causes of belly bulge include bloating, ascites, fluid retention, underlying health conditions, pregnancy, obesity, and ventral hernia.

Is it normal for my belly to stick out?

Your belly may stick out for several reasons, such as bloating and general weight gain. However, it could also indicate an underlying health condition that may require medical treatment, such as ventral hernia or ascites.

Speak with a healthcare professional if you experience a lump in your abdominal area, bloating for more than 3 weeks, or symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting, and bloody stools.

How do you flatten a belly bulge?

Some ways to help flatten your belly bulge may include exercising at least 150 minutes per week, eating a well-balanced diet, and being in a calorie deficit.

Several factors may cause a belly bulge, such as consuming too many calories, not getting enough sleep, or having an underlying health condition.

If lifestyle and dietary changes don’t help you address your belly concerns, speak with a healthcare professional. They could help develop a management plan that’s right for you.