Saturday July 26th, 2008
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The Tale of the Tape
Posted by Su Avasthi on May 7, 2007 - 9:32pm.
It seems that swimsuit season is not the only reason to worry a big tummy.
USA Today reports that doctors have started using the tape measure -- rather than the scale or body mass index (BMI) -- to assess our health. Research shows that the size of our waistlines could be a more accurate gauge of who's at higher risk for all sorts of diseases, including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, cancer, and metabolic syndrome.
According to new guidelines from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, women whose waists are larger than 35 inches are in the danger zone. For men, beer bellies and love handles should not exceed 40 inches. Waist measurements are used to assess kids' health too.
For years, we've heard about the dangers of belly fat. People who are shaped like an apple -- or prone to carry extra fat around their bellies -- are at a much higher risk of serious disease and have higher mortality rates.
People who are shaped like pears -- or tend to pack extra pounds around their hips -- may have to struggle to get into their jeans, but in the end, they've got the better genes. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
But I never really understood why fat stored in the belly, rather than on the hips, would made a difference. Apparently, the reason is that new research shows that not all fat is alike. Belly fat -- or visceral fat -- lays deep in our bodies, surrounding internal organs and secreting different chemicals, which ultimately causing changes in arteries, organs, and cells.
My guess is that the new waist measurement guidelines will help people who are slightly overweight, especially if their body mass index, or BMI, are close to normal. The tape measure might be a wake-up call.
I'm not sure why, but I can't shake the image of visceral fat surrounding the internal organs. Seems like that ought to be a wake-up call for everyone .. and a reason to get through all those sit-ups and core strength exercises at the gym.
A zillion years ago, my analogue bathroom scale finally died after years of faithful service - but not before malfunctioning for days previous to its actual death. By the time I realized that it wasn't working, I was *crazed* from the inaccurate readings it had provided for my overweight self.
So, when the time came - and it has come again - to do something about my health by doing something about my weight, I didn't use a scale to measure progress. Instead, I did as suggested and used a tape measure around my waist. That first time, I lost a foot in waist measurement and although I need to make changes, I've never gained it all back. What I can tell you from the perspective of the "formerly scale obsessed" is that it is a great way to monitor progress because weight can go up and down, but waist measurement tends to be a more steady and reliable assessment tool. I measured my waist once a week and the decreases were something that made me feel happy as well as healthier.
I am one of those "pear people" and always have been, which I hear is a good thing. The downside, from a vanity point of view, is that since one tends to lose weight in the reverse order in which it was gained, I have serious "pear time" to look forward to as I downsize, because that hip and thigh mass will be the last to go.
This is a doable thing - whatever way you measure your progress! Let's get healthy!