The waistline is always a big discussion. We all know that has we age, the belly begins to collect fat. Stress and sugar are on the suspect list for creating a trouble area. Stress releases cortisol which creates the belly fat, while sugar turns into fat and store right around the stomach area.
The size of your waist can affect your health. Abdominal obesity has been linked to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is not just about the measurement of your waist but also your Body Mass Index (BMI) . BMI is the a measurement of body fat in adults.
To calculate your BMI:
- divide your weight in kilograms (kg) by your height in metres (m)
- then divide the answer by your height again to get your BMI.
Here is a list of healthy BMI Range according to Web MD:
Underweight: Your BMI is less than 18.5.
Healthy weight: Your BMI is 18.5 to 24.9.
Overweight: Your BMI is 25 to 29.9.
Obese: Your BMI is 30 or higher.
Let’s take a look at the guidelines below according to Harvard.edu
Abdominal Obesity Measurement Guidelines
| Organization | Measurement used | Definition of abdominal obesity |
| American Heart Association, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (10) | Waist circumference | Women: > 88 cm (35 inches), Men: > 102 cm (40 inches) |
| International Diabetes Federation (11) | Waist circumference | Women: > 80 cm (31.5 inches), Men: > 90 cm (35.5 inches)Different cut-points for different ethnic groups |
| World Health Organization (12) | Waist-to-hip ratio | Women: > 0.85, Men: > 0.9 |
How to measure your waist circumference:
- Take off any external clothing around your waist.
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart.
- Find the point halfway between the bottom of your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone.
- Wrap the tape around this point, against the skin, and breath out normally. The tape should be loose enough for you to be able to slip a finger inside
Source: Commonwealth Department of Health
Our waistline is not the only factor that affects our health. However, we must do what we can to maintain a healthy life.
Thanks for the post!!! I was looking for motivation to inspire me to finish a major painting and couldn’t get moving. I like to check out blogs to push me sometimes. Thanks for being an example of the action and movement I was looking for to complete my work!
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Thank you for those kind words. Blessings on your art. Art is so important to our world.
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Picking up the brushes now! Yes art is important and as a substitute teacher I can see how the youth lack creativity that art builds. Anyway thanks again.
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