What is bloated belly?

A bloated abdomen, or belly, is caused by a feeling of gassiness or fullness. According to WebMD, abdominal bloating is most often related to overeating.

Mayo Clinic lists other more serious and less common causes of abdominal bloating, including stress or anxiety, lactose intolerance, smoking, swallowing excess air during eating or drinking, and conditions such as celiac's disease and lactose intolerance. MedlinePlus also lists weight gain, gastroesophageal reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, constipation, and bacterial overgrowth in the small bowel as other less common causes of abdominal bloating.

To decrease abdominal bloating, MedlinePlus advises people to pay attention to foods that cause abdominal bloating and avoid consuming them. Reducing consumption of gas-producing foods, such as beans and carbohydrates, avoiding swallowing excess air during eating and drinking by eating more slowly, limiting chewing gum and avoiding carbonated beverages are other ways to limit abdominal bloating.