Swing by a magazine stand or catch some late-night infomercials and you can't help but find a dozen new ways to get "that flat belly you've always wanted." While whittling your middle might be a hot-selling topic for beach season, it's even more important as a tool for your heart health. New guidelines show that fat stored around your middle may put you at risk for high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, type-2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Almost 60% of Canadian adults are overweight or obese, but the amount you weigh doesn't necessarily tell the whole story. Heart and Stroke Foundation researcher and director of research at the Quebec Heart and Lung Institute, Dr. Jean-Pierre Despr‚s says that as soon as a patient becomes overweight, they increase their risk of heart disease, but where that fat is located could have an even bigger impact. "When we talk about obesity based on weight alone, it's rubbish. If you don't pay attention to the location of the fat, then you're totally in the dark," he says.
Belly fat seems to indicate a higher risk than fat on the hips and thighs, which is good news for pear-shaped people, but not for those who tend to be more of an apple shape. People who have apple-shaped bodies are more likely than those with pear-shaped bodies to have high triglyceride levels, high blood pressure and an increased risk of diabetes. But pancake-flat abs sought by fad diets, pills and tricks are not the way to go, says Dr. Despr‚s. "I think we could go a long way treating this condition with lifestyle changes," he says. "The best polypill is regular physical activity for the majority of Canadians." Just a good 45 minutes – or more – of brisk walking can do wonders for your waistline, Dr. Despr‚s explains. "Work up to it gradually, doing a few minutes at first, then going for longer."
Maintaining a healthy weight is known to help reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. One tool that may be used to determine if you are overweight or obese is the Body Mass Index, which is calculation based on a ratio of your height and weight, used in people age 18 to 65 who are not pregnant or breastfeeding. But Dr. Despr‚s says that it's better to use BMI in conjunction with other body weight analysis tools. There's still a lot of confusion, he says, around weight and obesity because BMI doesn't say where the fat is located or even if it's fat at all and not muscle weight. "In my case, I have a BMI of 23, which is considered healthy. As soon as I have a bad month of working too much, eating out a lot and neglecting my physical activity, I gain about 2 kg (5 lb). My BMI would still be a healthy 24. However, I know that I gain most of that weight around my middle. My cholesterol and my triglycerides go up," he says. "As soon as my pants feel tight in the waist, I measure my waistline and check my triglycerides and then I can see I'm putting on that bad fat."
Talk to your doctor about assessing your weight using both BMI and waist circumference.
Learn how to calculate your BMI.
For more information on taking your waist measurement properly, watch this video.
Posted: July 2009
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