"Waist Not"
The average person grows up thinking about their weight, without taking
into account their body fat percentage. Realizing your weight alone doesn't distinguish
whether the pounds come from fat or muscle. In order to assess your physical fitness
level, you need to regularly monitor your body fat. Reducing body fat and building muscle
is associated with numerous benefits such as greater strength, reduced likelihood of
injury, and higher metabolism.
Android or "apple-shaped" obese people are more vulnerable to disease
than those who are gynoid or "pear-shaped." |
Height-Weight Tables were originally developed by insurance companies
to establish recommended weight ranges for men and women. The "desirable" weights were
those associated with the lowest mortality among large population studies of insured
people. Unfortunately, these studies do not accurately represent a cross-section of the
entire American population.
Waist Measurement
Waist size is an additional, independent risk factor and can be used in
conjunction with any other method. It reflects growing evidence that excess visceral fat -
surrounding the abdominal organs - on its own increases the chance of heart disease or
diabetes.
Research indicates that visceral fat (waist size) is more important in the disease process
than subcutaneous fat which is just under the skin ("love handles," "pinchable inches").
Abdominal fat cells appear to produce certain compounds that may influence cholesterol and
glucose metabolism. In men, a waist size of >40" and in women >35" is an indication of
increased health risk.
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