Eating high-fat foods is not helpful, but any kind of calories can increase belly fat.  The worst foods for belly fat, based on a UK diet, are alcohol (especially beer) and calorie-dense foods like fish and chips, burgers, french fries and other fried foods.

Still, there is no single cause of belly fat.  Genetics, diet and lifestyle all play a role.

Any kind of calories - whether from alcohol, sugary drinks or oversized portions of food - can increase belly fat.  However, alcohol does seem to have a particular association with fat around the abdomen.  That’s because when you drink, your liver is too busy burning off alcohol to burn off fat - leaving you with a beer belly.

A typical salad like that, with dressing, would have 540 calories and 35 grams of fat. Pour on the carbs and more calories with a large non-diet soft drink, and you have a meal that’s worse for you than three hamburgers. 

Your next-worst choice would be a large fries with a chocolate shake. Super-size your fries and it’s worse than the salad.

Researchers in the US found that trans fats, which are created by partially hydrogenated oil, increase the amount of fat around the belly. They do this, not just by adding new fat, but also by actually redistributing fat tissue to the abdomen from other parts of the body. Trans fats may be found in foods such as margarine, pastries, biscuits, crackers or fried and convenience foods.

Green tea, in combination with exercise, could help you lose weight, particularly around the belly, according to a study published in the Journal of Nutrition.  Researchers think substances in green tea, known as catechins, may stimulate the body to burn calories and decrease belly fat, although more research is needed.

Blueberries also show promise, albeit in rodents.  A study found rats who ate a diet rich in blueberries lost abdominal fat.

And soy could also be helpful, at least for older women.  A study of postmenopausal women taking a daily supplement of soy protein found they developed less belly fat than women taking a placebo.

Fast foods are typically high-fat, calorie-dense foods that are eaten in large portions - all of which contribute to over-consumption of calories and an increase in belly fat.

Added sugars mean added calories - exactly what you want to avoid to cut down on belly fat. The British Heart Foundation says: "We already know that too many high-sugar fizzy drinks are bad for our teeth and excess calories from them can make us put on weight, which is a risk factor for heart disease." 

While some research has suggested that people who drink artificially sweetened sodas as part of a calorie-restricted diet do in fact lose weight, others have suggested that diet soft drinks could even lead to weight gain.

For now, there’s no conclusive evidence either way.

To lose belly fat, substitute whole grains instead: brown or wild rice instead of white rice, whole grain pasta instead of semolina and breads made from whole grains instead of white bread. 

A study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that a calorie-controlled diet, rich in whole grains, trimmed extra fat from the waistline of obese subjects.

The value of whole grains was undermined if refined grains remained a major part of the diet.

Couscous, spaghetti and corn flakes are typically made from refined grains (though whole grain options may be available).  But popcorn is in fact a whole grain food.

However, that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily good for fending off belly fat.  If it’s smothered in butter, or worse, a butter-substitute high in trans fat, then you may be better off choosing a low-fat refined grain food.

All else being equal, though, whole grains are better than refined grains because they tend to be high in fibre and take longer to digest.  This satisfies your hunger better and helps you more efficiently use blood glucose, lowering your blood glucose levels and reducing fat.

Overall, men tend to store fat in the abdominal area more than women, due to sex hormone differences.  Prior to the age of 40, most women tend to store most of their fat in the hips, thighs and buttocks. After 40, as oestrogen levels drop, body fat is redistributed to the abdomen.

Belly fat is usually the first thing to go when you begin losing weight.  That’s because much belly fat is “visceral” fat - a more metabolically active type of fat that’s easier to lose than other kinds.

Doing sit-ups, crunches, or other abdominal exercises will strengthen your core muscles and help you hold in your belly fat, but won’t eliminate it. The only way to lose belly fat (or any kind of fat) is to lose weight.

Aerobic exercises like running, swimming, cycling and tennis are some of the best to help reduce body fat.

Belly fat is more dangerous than fat around your hips and thighs, because much of it is “visceral” fat - which wraps around the inner organs. Visceral fat produces hormones and chemicals that can cause hormonal and blood chemistry imbalances and inflammation.

Researchers also think belly fat may be particularly bad because of its location near the portal vein, which carries blood to the liver from the intestines. This makes it easier for fatty acids produced in the breakdown of belly fat to travel to the liver, where they can raise the amount of fat in your blood.

Belly fat appears to be especially bad for the heart.  Studies have linked belly fat to heart failure, atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular problems. 

It has also been associated with osteoporosis, dementia including Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, bowel cancer, metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure and other health problems.

All of the above can help, but the best way to reduce belly fat is to simply cut calories and get more physical activity.

Most scientific evidence suggests that a calorie-controlled diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, beans, nuts, seeds, lean meat, fish, eggs and poultry is the foundation for a diet that provides all the nutrients you need while helping to whittle your waistline.

Weight loss experts recommend combining this diet with 150 minutes of exercise a week across most days of the week.