What foods cause love handles? A deep dive into diet and fat storage

October 11, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health, a diet high in ultra-processed foods can lead people to consume an extra 500 calories per day, directly impacting weight gain and overall fat storage. So, what foods cause love handles and contribute to this stubborn fat accumulation?

Quick Summary

Excessive intake of certain unhealthy foods and drinks, high in added sugars, refined carbohydrates, and unhealthy fats, is a primary driver of increased fat storage, especially around the midsection. Poor diet choices, surplus calories, and disrupted metabolic processes often lead to the development of stubborn love handles.

Key Points

Sugar is a primary culprit: Consuming excess added sugar, especially from sugary drinks, causes insulin spikes that promote fat storage in the abdominal region.
Processed foods lead to overeating: Ultra-processed foods are engineered to be highly palatable, causing you to eat more calories and gain more weight.
Refined carbs lack satiety: Refined grains like white bread offer little fiber and cause blood sugar spikes, which can lead to overeating.
Alcohol disrupts fat metabolism: Your body processes alcohol before anything else, which temporarily halts the fat-burning process and can increase calorie intake.
Hidden ingredients can be deceptive: Many seemingly healthy products, including some 'low-fat' foods, yogurts, and juices, contain high amounts of hidden sugars.
Whole foods are your best defense: A diet rich in lean protein, whole grains, and fresh fruits and vegetables helps create a calorie deficit needed for fat loss.
Focus on overall fat loss: You cannot spot-reduce love handles with targeted exercises alone; a balanced diet and regular exercise are required for overall fat reduction.

The Link Between Diet and Stubborn Fat

Love handles are a common term for the excess fat that accumulates around the sides of the waist and hips. While genetics play a role in where your body stores fat, the primary cause is consuming more calories than you burn, which leads to overall weight gain. The types of foods you eat, however, can significantly influence where that fat is stored and how resistant it is to being lost. Diets heavy in processed ingredients, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates are particularly notorious for promoting fat storage in the abdominal region, where love handles reside. This is because these foods often cause rapid blood sugar spikes, which leads to increased insulin production. High insulin levels signal the body to store fat, and the abdominal area is a common storage site.

Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates: A Recipe for Fat

Added sugars and refined carbohydrates are arguably the worst culprits when it comes to developing love handles. Excess consumption of these ingredients drives the vicious cycle of fat storage.

Sugary Drinks and Snacks

Sugary drinks like soda, sweetened teas, and fruit juices are packed with empty calories and have been linked to an increase in belly fat. The high fructose content in sugar is primarily metabolized by the liver, where excess amounts are converted into fat. This can lead to the accumulation of visceral fat, the dangerous fat stored deep within the abdomen. Sugary snacks like cookies, cakes, and candy also contribute to this problem, providing large amounts of sugar and calories with little nutritional value.

Refined Grains

Refined carbohydrates, found in white bread, pastries, and many breakfast cereals, have had their fiber and nutrients stripped away. This makes them easily digestible and causes a rapid increase in blood sugar. Unlike complex carbohydrates from whole grains, refined carbs do not provide sustained energy or satiety, leading to overeating and further fat storage.

The Problem with Processed and Fast Foods

Ultra-processed foods are engineered to be highly palatable and addictive, making them easy to overconsume. They are typically high in unhealthy fats, sugar, and sodium, all of which contribute to weight gain.

High-Calorie Density

Processed and fast foods, such as french fries, pizza, and packaged snacks, offer a high number of calories in a small volume, leading people to eat more before feeling full. The NIH study noted that participants on an ultra-processed diet consumed around 500 calories more per day than those on a minimally processed diet.

Hidden Sugars and Fats

Many foods marketed as healthy, such as low-fat dairy products, granola bars, and certain sauces, can be loaded with hidden sugars and unhealthy additives to improve flavor. These items can sabotage weight loss efforts by adding excess calories and sugar without you realizing it.

Alcohol and Fat Storage

Alcohol is another significant contributor to love handles. It contains a high number of calories, almost as much as pure fat, and your body prioritizes metabolizing it over other macronutrients.

Empty Calories and Disrupted Metabolism

Alcohol is packed with empty calories that offer no nutritional benefit. When you drink, your liver works to process the alcohol immediately, pausing its normal functions, including fat burning. This metabolic shift means that the calories from the food you eat alongside your drinks are more likely to be stored as fat.

Increased Hunger

Drinking alcohol can also lower your inhibitions and increase your appetite, leading to poor food choices and overeating, especially late at night.

Foods to Avoid vs. Foods to Embrace

To reduce love handles, focusing on a whole-food diet is key. Here is a list of what to avoid and what to prioritize:

Foods to Limit or Avoid

Sugary drinks: Soda, sweetened juices, and high-sugar sports drinks.
Processed snacks: Chips, cookies, and packaged baked goods.
Refined grains: White bread, white pasta, and pastries.
Fast food: High-calorie, high-fat burgers, fries, and pizzas.
Excessive alcohol: Beer, cocktails, and sugary mixers.

Foods to Prioritize

Lean protein: Fish, chicken, beans, and legumes help with satiety and muscle maintenance.
Whole grains: Oats, quinoa, and brown rice provide sustained energy and fiber.
Fruits and vegetables: High in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, and low in calories.
Healthy fats: Found in avocados, nuts, and olive oil, these fats are important for overall health.

Comparing Problematic Foods to Healthy Alternatives


Problematic Food	Why It Contributes to Love Handles	Healthy Alternative	How It Helps with Fat Loss
Sugary Soda	High in added sugar; leads to fat storage, especially in the abdominal area.	Water	Contains zero calories; helps with hydration and overall metabolic function.
White Bread	Stripped of fiber and nutrients; causes blood sugar spikes and overeating.	Whole-Grain Bread	High in fiber; provides sustained energy, promotes satiety, and stabilizes blood sugar.
French Fries	High in fat, salt, and calories; promotes overconsumption.	Baked Sweet Potato	Nutrient-dense; high in fiber, which increases fullness and supports digestion.
Store-bought Pizza	High in processed meats, refined carbs, and unhealthy fats.	Homemade Veggie Pizza	Use a whole-wheat base and load with vegetables and lean protein; control ingredients and calories.
Cocktail with Mixer	Packed with empty calories and sugar, which pause fat metabolism.	Seltzer with Lemon	Provides a refreshing, calorie-free alternative to sugary drinks.

Conclusion: A Holistic Approach for a Healthier Waistline

While no single food specifically causes love handles, a diet high in processed foods, added sugars, refined carbohydrates, and alcohol is a major contributing factor. The solution lies in a holistic approach to nutrition and lifestyle. By reducing your intake of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and embracing a diet rich in whole foods, lean protein, and healthy fats, you can create the calorie deficit necessary for overall fat loss. Remember, spot-reduction is a myth, so while core exercises can tone the muscles, a healthy diet is the most effective tool for shedding stubborn fat from your waistline and improving your overall health. For more information on the effects of diet on weight, visit the National Institutes of Health website.

Frequently Asked Questions

No single food directly causes love handles, but a diet high in added sugars, refined carbohydrates, processed foods, and excessive alcohol promotes fat storage that can accumulate around the waist and hips due to genetics.

Excess added sugar, especially from sweetened beverages, is high in fructose, which is primarily metabolized by the liver. The liver converts surplus fructose into fat, and this contributes significantly to fat accumulation in the abdominal area.

No, not all carbs are bad. While refined carbs cause blood sugar spikes that can lead to fat storage, complex carbohydrates found in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are rich in fiber. This promotes satiety and provides sustained energy, which can aid in weight management.

Alcohol contains empty calories and disrupts your metabolism. When you drink, your body prioritizes burning alcohol for energy, causing any food calories you've consumed to be more readily stored as fat. Alcohol can also increase your appetite, leading to poor food choices.

Targeted exercises can strengthen the muscles underneath the fat, but they cannot spot-reduce fat. To get rid of love handles, you must focus on overall fat loss through a combination of a healthy diet, cardio, and strength training.

Highly processed foods to limit include soda, cookies, pastries, white bread, fast food items like fries and pizza, and many packaged snacks that are often high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and sodium.

Healthy and sustainable fat loss is gradual. Most experts recommend aiming for a 0.5-1% reduction in body fat per week, which means you could see noticeable changes in 8-12 weeks by combining a healthy diet with consistent exercise.

No, healthy fats are an essential part of a balanced diet. The key is moderation. When consumed as part of a calorie-controlled diet, healthy fats support overall health and can promote satiety, helping to prevent overeating.