A quick way to check your risk for cardiovascular disease
Statistically speaking, individuals who carry more of their weight in their belly are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease and Type 2 diabetes. Of course, this doesn't mean that someone with a beer belly will have a heart attack while someone who has a slim waist won't. However, watching the size of your waistline is a smart thing to do if you've got heart disease or diabetes in your family.
Here is a quick and easy way to check your risk for cardiovascular disease:
All you need is a flexible measuring tape and a calculator (if you're really good at doing math in your head, you don't even need the calculator!).
Using the measuring tape, measure around your waist one inch above your navel. Measure again around the widest part of your hips. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. The number that you get is your "Waist/Hip ratio". Women who have a Waist/Hip ratio of .8 or under are statistically at less risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. Men who have a Waist/Hip ratio of .95 or under are statistically at less risk.
People with "apple-shaped" bodies (with more weight around the waist) face more cardiovascular health risks than those with "pear-shaped" bodies who carry more weight around the hips. That’s because abdominal fat is more likely than fat stored in other spots to lead to changes in hormone levels and to cause inflammation (which in turn leads to clogged arteries). We can't change our genetic make-up which is greatly responsible for where our fat stores are held. We can, however, be in complete control of HOW MUCH fat we store.
There are many factors that can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It’s important to exercise, eat a well-balanced diet and get regular check-ups with your doctor in order to stay as healthy as possible and be aware of minor risk factors before they become major ones. One thing you can do right at home is keep an eye on your waist/hip ratio by checking it every so often.
Becky Williamson
www.beckywilliamson.com
www.lifesportfitness.net
Here is a quick and easy way to check your risk for cardiovascular disease:
All you need is a flexible measuring tape and a calculator (if you're really good at doing math in your head, you don't even need the calculator!).
Using the measuring tape, measure around your waist one inch above your navel. Measure again around the widest part of your hips. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. The number that you get is your "Waist/Hip ratio". Women who have a Waist/Hip ratio of .8 or under are statistically at less risk for cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. Men who have a Waist/Hip ratio of .95 or under are statistically at less risk.
People with "apple-shaped" bodies (with more weight around the waist) face more cardiovascular health risks than those with "pear-shaped" bodies who carry more weight around the hips. That’s because abdominal fat is more likely than fat stored in other spots to lead to changes in hormone levels and to cause inflammation (which in turn leads to clogged arteries). We can't change our genetic make-up which is greatly responsible for where our fat stores are held. We can, however, be in complete control of HOW MUCH fat we store.
There are many factors that can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. It’s important to exercise, eat a well-balanced diet and get regular check-ups with your doctor in order to stay as healthy as possible and be aware of minor risk factors before they become major ones. One thing you can do right at home is keep an eye on your waist/hip ratio by checking it every so often.
Becky Williamson
www.beckywilliamson.com
www.lifesportfitness.net
Views: 0
Tags: cardiovascular, disease, ratio, waist/hip
-
Comment by Lisa Newton on November 14, 2008 at 5:51am -
Excellent information. I hope everyone gets their tape measure out.....................:)
-
Comment by Craig Maltby on November 17, 2008 at 11:12am -
Yes, abdominal girth is a big marker. It's part of the 5-point metabolic syndrome check that has been getting a lot of attention. One health insurance exec I know says he can predict to within months as to whether someone will suffer a coronary event, simply by knowing if that person possesses at least 3 out of the 5 metabolic syndrome factors.
-
Comment by Becky Williamson on November 17, 2008 at 1:32pm -
Hey Craig,
Thanks. Excellent follow up to my post. And yes, metabolic syndrome (and visceral or "gut" fat as part of that syndrome) is getting a lot of attention these days--hopefully it's filtering on down to the folks who need to hear it. We can't change our genetics, but we CAN change how much fat we allow to land on our body.
Becky
Comment
Badge
Cool Links
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States License.
The Longest Journey Starts with the First Step
© 2012 Created by Lisa Newton.
You need to be a member of Iowa Avenue to add comments!
Join Iowa Avenue