Your Tummy Fat Could Be Killing You

Abdominal fat. Some of us have it, some don't. Is there something special about a big belly vs a big ass? Well, surprisingly, not all body fat is the same! According to a study by researchers at MacMaster University in Hamilton, Ont., It appears that the extent of your risk for a heart attack depends on where your fat is, not how much fat you have. .

 

These types of discoveries are not exclusive to MacMasters. Dr. David Heber, Ph.D., of the Center for Human Nutrition at UCLA reports that the distribution of body fat is a more important indicator of heart attack risk than the traditional measure of body mass index (BMI ), which is a measurement based on the relationship between your height and your weight.

It seems that a more accurate indicator of the impact of body fat on health is the general shape of the body. It may look more like an apple or a pear, or a uniform top and bottom. You can have big thighs, big hips, and huge buttocks and have a lower risk of heart attack than someone with skinny legs and a big belly.

 

A more precise and revealing indicator of the risk of heart attack is the waist-to-hip ratio.

 

What is your waist-to-hip ratio?

 

Divide the waist circumference by the hip circumference. For example, if your hips are 40 inches and your waist is 34 inches, the hip-to-waist ratio is 0.85. If you are a man it is fine, if you are a woman it is fine (but you are on the verge of health).

 

- The proportion of a man must not exceed 0.90.

 

- The proportion of women must not exceed 0.85.

 

don't fight nature

If you were born an apple, you will continue to be an apple, and if you are born a pear, you will continue to appear. Accepting the natural shape of your body is the first step in losing weight. In a study conducted by Glasgow, Scotland, psychologist Dorothy Hefferman, Ph.D., researchers concluded that women whose actual body shape differs from what they want may find weight loss frustrating and, as a result, , have more problems to stick to it. a weight loss program. .

If this sounds like you, accept your general shape as nature intended, but be careful to reduce fat around the midsection and abdominal areas. Girth is much more important to health than appearance when it comes to the bust and back.