Weight Control

Do you need to tighten your belt?

This old expression is equated with getting serious, making budget cuts, and eliminating frills. But when it comes to weight control, tightening your belt is a very important achievement. When your pants get loose and you have to move that belt over another notch just to keep them up, not only is it a great event, it's an important step towards better health. Here's why...

Big Bellies - Risky Business

Waist to hip ratio (Personal Dietitian members see more on this topic in the Weight Loss Library) is a measurement of the difference between waist and hip circumference. This was used in several important studies that showed that risk of disease was associated with where extra body fat is stored, not just the presence of extra body fat. These studies showed that those people who had disproportionately large tummies had greater risk of disease. Later, other studies have shown that a single measurement of abdominal (stomach) circumference is just as good a measurement as waist/hip ratio, and is easier to do. The two important messages about abdominal measurements are:

1. Extra body fat, carried in the abdominal area that is out of proportion to the rest of the
    body, is a risk factor for disease and death by itself.

2. Waist circumference relates very highly to excess stomach fat (as you would expect). This
    means that most people who have a large waist measurement have excess stomach fat -
    it's not just overdeveloped muscles or "love handles".

Some "Magic" Numbers
In the science of weight control, there are many magic numbers that help indicate the risk of extra body weight, and classify the degree of body fatness. BMI or body mass index is by now a pretty familiar term for people who are keeping up with weight control studies. Check out your member's area for the article on body mass index and the body mass index chart accessible to all under "weight charts" to find out what your body mass index is. An important note: BMI is just one number that indicates the relative risk a person has based upon excess body weight, and it is not an absolute indicator of your risk of disease.

Now, when you consider the BMI and waist circumference together, you get a pretty good idea of a person's relative risk of disease (compared to a person of "normal" weight). The NHLBI or National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute put together a chart that classifies extra body fat by BMI and waist circumference and the risk of disease, which is summarized below.

Where do you fit in?
Look up your Basal Metabolic Index(BMI) and measure your waist circumference to find out, (or have your doctor do this at your next visit).

Key points of the BMI-waist circumference classification

1. A waist circumference of greater than 40 inches (102 cm) in men, and greater than 35 inches (88 cm) in women is a "cutpoint" for increased risk of disease risk factors compared to those at "normal" weight.
2. For people who have a BMI of 25 to 29.9 ("overweight" category), disease risk is increased. For these same overweight people who have waist circumferences of more than 40 in (men) or 35 in. (women), disease risk is high.
3. For people who have a BMI or 30 to 34.9 ("obese" category), and waist circumference of 40 in. or less (men) or 35 in. or less (women), disease risk is high. Now, those who are in the obese category, plus have a large waist circumference, disease risk is very high .
4. When the BMI is 35 to 39.9, disease risk is very high, regardless of waist measurement.
5. When the BMI is 40 or greater, disease risk is extremely high, regardless of waist measurement.

These classifications and measurements help scientists to determine how risky obesity is when it comes to getting deadly diseases like heart disease and diabetes. If you are in a high risk category based upon your BMI and waist circumference, losing a few inches around your waist and lowering your BMI is more than a cosmetic change - it can help to reduce your risk of disease.

How to tighten your belt
Well, there's no proven way to "spot reduce" despite all the gadgets being sold that promise a smaller waistline without dieting! And, some stomach exercises can actually increase waist circumference because they build up the stomach muscles - this isn't bad, it just doesn't reduce body fat. The only way to reduce stomach fat is to reduce total body fat - by following your eating guidelines and by increasing the calories you burn off through physical activity. When you lose weight, it will reduce body fat all over, but you may notice that it comes off a little more quickly in some places. Be patient and let it happen....you will get a smaller tummy!

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