Is My Belly Fat Sending Me To An Early Grave?
What happened to my waistline? As we get older, some of us accumulate extra fat around our waist. Some of us have it, others don’t. What did those of us who were unlucky enough to accumulate it do to deserve it? Each person’s situation is different. However, the effects of having a large belly are generally the same for everyone, no matter how their belly became oversized.
Not all body fat is created equal. Research shows that the distribution of fat has greater importance than the amount of fat that you possess. According to a study carried out by researchers from MacMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario it seems that gauging your risk for heart attack depends on where your fat is, rather than how much fat you have.
The MacMasters results are not unique. Dr David Heber, Ph.D., from UCLA’s Centre for Human Nutrition reports that distribution of body fat is a more important predictor of heart attack risk than the traditional measurement of Body Mass Index (BMI), which is a measurement based on the ratio between your height and weight.
It appears that a more accurate predictor of the impact body fat has on your health, is your overall body shape. You may be more like an apple or a pear, or evenly shaped top and bottom. You may have large thighs and wide hips and have a lower heart attack risk than someone with skinny legs and a big belly.
Technically speaking, the most accurate predictor of heart attack risk is the waist-to-hip ratio. I know what you’re thinking…” What is your waist-to-hip ratio”? It is simply, the results of dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement. Men and women have different acceptable ratios. For example, if your hip measurement is 40 inches and your waist is 34 inches your hip-to-waist ratio is 0.85.
If you are a man, that’s great, if you are a woman, you are pushing the limits of being healthy. For a man, your ratio should not exceed 0.90 and women should not be over 0.85.
Your body shape will not change. If you were born an apple, you will stay an apple and if you were born a pear you will continue to be a pear. However, you can streamline the effects of your natural shape through nutrition and weight training. However, reducing fat around your middle and tummy areas is more important than trying to change your natural body shape. The circumference of your waist is much more important to your health than how you look in relation to your bust and bottom. You have the power to make changes to your nutrition and fitness today. Don’t let your belly send you to an early grave.