Researchers say that a quick check around the waist with a tape measure may be a better way of telling, if anybody is at risk of heart disease, than stepping on a scale. People with larger waistlines (even if they are not overweight), are more likely to show the early signs of heart disease, than those with smaller waists. Quote on waist line significance: “Inches are as important as pounds or kilograms (of bodyweight)”. The team of researchers used the methods like, -Magnetic resonance imaging -Electron beam computed tomography scans Several studies showed that-waist size is clearly linked with -Heart attack -Stroke -Heart disease risk. Government of America gave the following guidelines: -Men should aim to have waist of 40 inches (102cm) or less, in circumference, -Women should have 35 inches (89cm) waist line. The researchers found no absolute cut-off but found that “the smaller the person’s waist, the clearer his or her arteries were observed to be.” -High cholesterol level, High blood pressure, Lack of exercise, etc, are other known risk factors for the chances of having early artery clogging. Weight alone does not do early artery clogging, but waist size does have much effect on artery clogging leading to heart ailments. So the golden word is: “the longer the waist line –the shorter the life line.” … [Read more...]
New indicator to evaluate Obesity related diseases
Body-Mass index (BMI) is replaced by Waist-to-Hip ratio (WHR) as a better indicator to evaluate a person’s health status. WHR is ratio between waist and hip circumferences. For women, waist to hip ratio should not be more than o.8. For men, waist to hip ratio should not be more than o.95. Older people with high waist to hip ratios have a higher mortality risk than those with high body mass index. WHR is the best obesity indicator for assessing heart attack and other obesity related disorders like stroke and diabetes. As per WHR, fat is more important than person’s weight to decide health status. WHR indicates the proportion of fat stored on your body around your waist and the hip. Fat is stored in the body in two ways. Around the abdomen –Apple shape. Around the hip – Pear shape. Your health is affected not only by amount of fat, but also where that fat is stored. Abdominal fat is more important in assessing your health status. It changes the hormonal levels to cause inflammation which in turn leads to clogged arteries. Clogged arteries may gradually cause heart attack. Please comment on this article. … [Read more...]
