DO YOU KNOW YOUR WAIST TO HIP RATIO? YOUR HEALTH DEPENDS ON IT!
The waist-to-hip ratio is a quick measure of fat distribution that may help indicate a person’s overall health. What does a person’s waist- to- hip ratio say about their health? According to the World Health Organization, having a waste- to- hip ratio of over 1.0 may increase the risk of developing conditions that relate to being overweight, including heart disease, cancer, and type II diabetes.
This may be the case even if other measures of being overweight, such as body mass index are in normal ranges.
The following chart shows how the World Health Organization classifies the risk of being affected by weight related health conditions
Health risk Men Women
Low .95 or lower .80 or lower
Moderate .96-1.0 .81-.85
High 1.0 or higher .86 or higher
IMPACT ON HEALTH: Research shows people who are “apple-shaped” are at a greater risk of certain health conditions than those who are “pear-shaped” (when hips are wider than the upper body).
THESE HEALTH CONDITIONS INCLUDE: CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE: One study found that abdominal obesity increased the risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer. Another study found the waist- to- hip ratio predicted cardiovascular disease more effectively than Basal Metabolic Rate or waist circumference. A third study found that waist- to- hip ratio is a better indicator of risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease than waist circumference alone.
TYPE 2 DIABETES: A 2016 study found that an increased hip-to-waist circumference was linked to an increased risk of type II diabetes.
FERTILITY: A 2002 study found that women with a waist-to-hip ratio of over .80 have a lower pregnancy rate than those with a lower waist-to-hip ratio regardless of their BMI.
A 2006 study with almost 15,000 older people (75 years of age or older), concluded that waist- to- hip ratio is more important than what you weigh. The researchers looked at the relationship between waist- to- hip ratio and Body Mass Index and how people died over the next six years. As it turned out waist- to- hip ratio is even more accurate than Basal Metabolic Rate for predicting the risks of cardiovascular disease and premature death. In other words, it was “location, location, location” of fat that was most important- not how much you weigh.
MORE STUDIES RELATED TO WAIST-TO-HIP AND HEALTH ISSUES INCLUDE:
A 2021 study found that waist- to- hip ratio is an accurate tool for predicting hypertension.
A 2015 study showed that increased waist- to- hip ratio is a better indicator than basal metabolic rate for predicting complications in trauma patients.
The 2018 study shared that a high waist-to-hip ratio was a significant predictor of death in women with heart failure.
A 2016 study found that a high waist- to- hip ratio was associated with hypertension and diabetes.
THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF DECREASING WAIST-TO-HIP RATIOS
A 2020 study found that decreasing waist- to- hip ratio by 5% significantly lowered risks of developing chronic kidney disease in people with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
So how do you measure your waist- to- hip ratio? You need a tape measure and a calculator. Here’s how you do it:
- Measure your waist at the smallest point- usually at the naval or just above it
- measure your hips at the widest, largest part
- divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement
The idea here is that your waist should be smaller than your hips. If your waist is bigger than your hips, then you may have too much fat around the middle part of your body- something known as “intra-abdominal obesity”.
The concept is quite simple here in that intra-abdominal fat is bad for your health and that measuring a person’s waist- to- hip ratio is a quick way to give an indication of a person’s overall health, obesity levels and the risk of weight related health conditions.
WHAT’S A PERSON TO DO?
Losing fat and dropping some weight can be very difficult especially when you get into that middle age and older. There really is no substitution for eating a real, whole food diet and increasing your activity. But if you feel like your diet is good, and you are not overeating and you are exercising most days and still can’t lose those inches or those pounds, what can you do?
There are some supplements that have been shown and that have worked for some people to help with the process.
- Fat- Sugar- Trim– one study showed that people that have trouble losing fat are deficient in an enzyme called lipase. This supplement increases your metabolism, it has lipase in it and so it digests body fat, it also reduces mood swings and cravings and it helps convert fats and sugars to energy. You typically take two of these in between meals, like midmorning, midafternoon and maybe before bed to help with the burning of fat.
- Natural Vitality-this supplement increases physical energy without zapping your adrenal glands like caffeine does. It also helps digest body fat, has fat metabolizing whole food vitamins, and it’ll help increase mental focus. Typically you take up to four a day, usually first thing in the morning and after lunch.
- Optimal Lipolean-I’ve mentioned this one before in other newsletters. We have had people use this and lose inches. It contains safflower oil. Safflower oil helps keep your arteries from hardening, it helps prevent blood clots and it can help lower LDL cholesterol. It steadily removes up to 4% of fat (when you take 4 g daily for at least 12 weeks). It can help reduce food cravings, it helps burn four times more fat while helping to retain lean muscle mass, and it increases metabolic rate.
- Complete Nutrition-this can be used as a snack or a meal replacement. It does provide absorbable nutrients, it helps produce energy and it also contains enzymes and minerals.
Like I mentioned earlier there are no shortcuts to fat reduction and weight loss. But if you are eating a whole food diet and not overeating and not constantly snacking and you are at least moderately moving for 180 minutes a week or so. These supplements may help kick start your fat loss and weight loss. You must use them for a minimum of 90 days and even up to 180 days. To help you out these supplements will be on sale at 15% off for the month of July.