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Not a Health Risk - A Death Wish

Updated on March 25, 2016

Holistic View of Health

Holistic View of Health Colorful Diagram with Circles Surrounding Green Human Outline with a Red Heart
Holistic View of Health Colorful Diagram with Circles Surrounding Green Human Outline with a Red Heart | Source

Science has proven the ability to predict the future under circumstances that can be readily measured. Our resting heart rate tells us if we are obtaining sufficient cardiovascular exercise. Our vital signs provide the metrics that showcase illness and disease. And now, our waistline has the ability to now tell us if we have a death wish. It is a strong statement and it is meant to be more than a call to action, it is meant to call attention to a life threatening condition.

The new research simply states, if your waistline is more than 40" (men) and women (35"), the probably of a heart attack is almost certainty. Of course I am simply paraphrasing. Stay tune for the full story along with several colorful posters that visually relay this critical information that you must have about your health and the health of your family.

"National criteria propose that a 40-inch waist in men and 35-inch waist in women predicted an increased risk for heart disease."

— webMD

BMI Chart of Weight Categories

Colorful BMI Chart of Weight Categories
Colorful BMI Chart of Weight Categories | Source

Over the past 10 years, a raft of new studies have shown that predicting a person's long-term health may be as simple as taking a waist measurement.

— US News

As a certified personal trainer, we were trained with the figures of 35" and 30". Here I have rad 35" for women and 40" for men. While the dust may need to settle on the precise measurements, we must learn more about the findings.

Here is a quote from US News detailing the scientific findings to support this predictive nature of this simple measurement:

Fat around the middle is largely visceral fat, a type of deep fat that packs itself around internal organs and secretes powerful body chemicals.

Danger of Death Sign in bright yellow orange with triangle and clip art image
Danger of Death Sign in bright yellow orange with triangle and clip art image | Source

Abdominal Obesity Tells the Story - Predicts the Future

"Over the past 10 years, a raft of new studies have shown that predicting a person's long-term health may be as simple as taking a waist measurement. Fat around the waist has been linked to a greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, breathing problems, disability, some cancers, and higher mortality rates. The medical community once believed that it was weight itself or the body mass index that led to serious illness and earlier death, not where fat is located on the body. But recent research on the wonders of the fat cell has shown that not all fat is alike. Fat around the middle is largely visceral fat, a type of deep fat that packs itself around internal organs and secretes powerful body chemicals. It's this type of fat that sets off reactions in the body that lead to changes in arteries, organs, and cells that result in heart disease, diabetes, and probably some cancers. The more abdominal fat, the greater the risk of developing these conditions earlier. "It's becoming clearer and clearer that body fat distribution is a critically important variable," says JoAnn Manson, chief of preventive medicine at Harvard University's Brigham and Women's Hospital. "And abdominal obesity is the key culprit." source: usnews.com

Fat around the waist has been linked to a greater risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, hypertension, breathing problems, disability, some cancers, and higher mortality rates.

— US News

Physical Problems Arising from Obesity

Colorful Diagram Outlining Various Physical Problems Arising from Obesity
Colorful Diagram Outlining Various Physical Problems Arising from Obesity | Source
Your waist size should not be more than half your height.
~Mehmet Oz

True health care reform cannot happen in Washington. It has to happen in our kitchens, in our homes, in our communities. All health care is personal.
~Mehmet Oz

Your genetics load the gun. Your lifestyle pulls the trigger.
~Mehmet Oz

Silhouette of Weight Categories

Black and White Silhouette of Weight Categories
Black and White Silhouette of Weight Categories | Source

Dr Oz's Take on the Waistline

Waist Size - How to Measure


Learning about the health risk of your waist line is the first step. The second step is measuring your waist line. Here is some concise information and instruction:

"If you’re sporting a large waistline, your risk of dying prematurely is nearly double. The reason is because belly fat, often fondly referred to as a spare tire or a beer gut – sends out a toxic stream of chemicals impacting the whole body.

  • Take your waist size once each month with a measuring tape.
  • Measure at your natural waistline, which is above your hipbone and below the ribcage – not where your belt lies or around your hips. Be mindful of your posture and suck in your stomach since the fat you’re measuring is deep inside the belly.
  • A waist size over 35 inches in women and over 40 inches in men greatly increases the risk of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and more.
  • The ideal waist size for women is 32 ½ inches and 35 inches for men. Click here to learn your body mass index, or BMI, to see how your waist size can impact your overall health. "

ideal waist size for women is 32 ½ inches and 35 inches for men

— Dr Oz

Categories of Weight Posters Charts

Colorful Shades of Blue Categories of Weight BMI Chart Poster
Colorful Shades of Blue Categories of Weight BMI Chart Poster | Source

"Even a minimal weight loss can make an enormous difference

Predictor: 40" for Men and 35" for Women

"National criteria propose that a 40-inch waist in men and 35-inch waist in women predicted an increased risk for heart disease."

source: webmd.com

Do you know your waist measurement?

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Have you heard of this before - how your waist line can predict your health?

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Losing a Little Gets You a Lot

The good news is that losing weight can make a huge difference: often it can dramatically reduce the risk factors associated with heart disease.

Even better news: Even a small weight loss can help.

"Even a minimal weight loss can make an enormous difference. Your blood pressure will drop, your lipid profile [cholesterol] will get better. It's remarkable how much good you can do for your body by just shedding a few pounds," says cardiologist Chuck McCauley, MD, director of the Marshfield Healthy Lifestyles Program in Marshfield, Wis.

Indeed, McCauley says drop just 10 or 15 pounds and watch your blood pressure drop 10 or 15 points. Cholesterol levels, he says, respond even better. "I've seen people drop their LDL [bad cholesterol] from 160 down to 90 or 100 just by losing 10 pounds," he says. source: webmd.com

Posters That Motivate

Encourage your school, your health club to include educational posters who showcase the silhouette of the human body and the different weight categories. Recognizing a problem is the first step in solving a problem.

Obesity Problems Outlined

Food is the most abused anxiety drug. Exercise is the most underutilized antidepressant
Food is the most abused anxiety drug. Exercise is the most underutilized antidepressant
Obesity Problems - How Losing Weight Resolves Medical Problems Diagram on Overweight Female
Obesity Problems - How Losing Weight Resolves Medical Problems Diagram on Overweight Female | Source

BMI & Wasit Circumference Poster

© 2013 Kelly A Burnett

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