Why do you have a belly?

Answer 1

The Belly has many possible meanings and is a colloquialism often used to refer to the stomach, the abdominal area and the womb.

The stomach is a J shaped organ that doesn't sit down near your belly button as is often indicated incorrectly by laypersons. Your stomach sits just under your diaphragm.

The function of the stomach is twofold. It is the site of the second stage of digestion (after chemical and mechanical digestion in the mouth from amylase and your teeth and tongue) and is the primary site of protein digestion (as well as being the site of further physical digestion through the churning of the stomach). It is also a protective barrier against infection as it bathes the food in concentrated hydrochloric acid.

The function of the abdominal area is the usual functions of skin combined with the supportive role of the abdominal muscles. These muscles give posture and allow twisting and bending motions.

The abdominal area is also an area of subcutinous lipid storage in adipose cells... or where you keep some of your fat. This is protective, it offers some mechanical and thermal protection to the delicate organs inside and it is a store of chemical potential energy for later use.

The womb is sometimes referred to as the belly ("there is a baby growing in mummy's belly" for example). The womb is the site of foetal development and as the womb expands during pregnancy it displaces both the adipose cells (spreading them out and moving them to different places) and the stomach (upwards towards the diaphragm making the eating of large meals difficult and breathing laboured).