Remember those two recent studies that talked about how just a few pounds can be detrimental to your health? To top it off, those two studies conflicted with one that suggested packing on a few pounds might actually be a good thing!
Confused yet?
Turns out that the reason behind all the confusion is that the studies relied on Body Mass Index, known as BMI, as a measure of obesity. Researchers and health care practitioners have long been aware that BMI has its problems and may be way off the mark in some people, particularly body builders and the elderly.
Body builders have more muscle than most of us mortals and therefore have a higher BMI. The high number isn't bad, it just reflects a greater percentage of muscle. The elderly have less muscle, so their scores may be falsely depressed.
So what does all this mean? Turns out there's a better way to measure whether an individual has excess body fat.
That measure is the waist-to-hip ratio, a measurement that divides the circumference of your waist by your hip measurement. A high waist-to-hip ratio (no more than 0.8 for women, 0.95 for men) more accurately predicts heart attack risk and other obesity-related diseases than BMI.
What this really means is that if your belly is sticking out further than your hips, your heart could be headed for trouble! Fat stored in the abdomen can lead to inflammation in your arteries which can cause clogging.
Tip from your Wellness Coach: To calculate your waist-to-hip ratio, stand in a relaxed position, then measure your waist at it's smallest place (the navel) and then measure your hips at their largest spot (over your buttocks). Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement to get your number. (If your belly droops over your belt, then don't cheat by measuring under the protrusion!)
