Healthy Comment

Fat Chance

 

Reserch from the Mayo Clinic has shown that belly fat is a good indicator of potential cardiovascular death.  Even those with otherwise normal weight who had high belly fat-- fat around the body's organs-- had a 2.75 times greater chance of cardio death and a 2 times greater chance of death from all causes. 

"Normal Weight Individuals With Belly Fat at Highest CVD Risk", News release, presentation at European Society of Cardiology Congress, August 27, 2012, © European Society of Cardiology

 

The above study of 12,800 subjects used waist to hip ratio. You can measure this for yourself.

Measure your hips at the widest part and your waist at the narrowest, the smallest distance around between your lowest ribs and your belly button. Divide waist by hip and get the ratio.

There is a calcualtor here: http://www.healthcalculators.org/calculators/waist_hip.asp

Normal is 0.90 or less in males,  0.85 or below in females.

High is any number greater.

 



Weight, weight, weight.

I've often said, "You aren't healthy enough to lose weight". By that I mean I expect some physical/mental/chemical empediment to many person's weight loss.

 

When asked to assist in a weight loss program, around here we begin by assessing the diet and cutting out the garbage. We run blood chemistries to assess sugar handling, inflammation and infection, nutrient status, and hormone levels. We assess gastrointestinal, liver, and billiary (think: gallbladder) function. We determine what vitamins, minerals, enzymes, or amino acids the body is needing and tailor a regimen of supplementation to go with a sensible diet.

 

Then there's exercise. No way around it.

Doesn't mean training for an iron man event though.

So many people get glassy-eyed when they hear diet and exercise.

All I want to begin with is for them to get moving.

Butt off the couch or out of the task chair.

Going for walks several times per week? Lovely.

Trainer? Class? Gym? Great.

As you get healthier by not eating garbage, building the nutrient levels in your body, and moving, you can exercise more.

Or not. You decide.

 

For years I've listened to people who thought that all their problems stemmed from being "fat".

They seem to think if they reach some self-visualized, idealized weight/body image that flowers will bloom as they pass, rainbows appear on every horizon, and  magical unicorns prance around their yard.

You and I will never look like supermodels. (Unless, of course, you happen to already be a supermodel).

Doesn't matter.

Health matters.

Want the sun to shine in your backdoor?

Get healthy.