Why the abdomen protrudes even at a low body weightReducing waist circumference and restoring body contours depends largely on the strength of the deep core muscles. As these stabilizers weaken—often due to age or sedentary lifestyles—they stop supporting internal organs, which causes the abdomen to protrude and visually widens the silhouette regardless of overall body weight. Artem Kiselev, personal fitness trainer: "Many mistakenly believe that the stomach will disappear if they do hundreds of repetitions of abdominal crunches. The movements will strengthen the muscles and tighten the abdomen from within, but substantial weight loss requires a combination of calorie deficit and cardiovascular exercise. Abdominal muscles require recovery time.