Genetics
Inherited patterns determine where your body preferentially stores fat, such as the abdomen, hips or thighs, regardless of overall weight.
Adult body composition is shaped by genetics, hormones, age and lifestyle. Beginning around age 30, adults lose roughly 3 to 8 percent of muscle mass per decade, a process called sarcopenia. As muscle decreases, resting metabolic rate falls, and the body stores energy as fat more readily, often in the abdomen, flanks and thighs.
Hormonal shifts also play a measurable role. Declining estrogen in perimenopause and lower testosterone in men redistribute fat toward the midsection. Sleep loss, chronic stress and elevated cortisol further drive visceral fat accumulation, which the National Institutes of Health has linked to metabolic and cardiovascular risk.
Mood and motivation matter too. Depression, anxiety and disrupted sleep make consistent exercise and balanced eating harder to sustain. We screen for these contributors because addressing them often unlocks the lifestyle changes that diet and exercise alone cannot. Patients who have plateaued may benefit from functional wellness and body sculpting with Emsculpt Neo for defined treatment areas.
