Is the risk linked to a larger waist circumference affected by one's body shape?
Pump Up the Positive: Understanding Waist Size and Health Risks
Hey there, health enthusiasts! Twice a month, our journalist is here to answer your queries about health and well-being. This week, let's delve into the topic of waist size and its relationship with potential health problems.
Catherine Handfield, our resident health expert, has a question for us all: even if you're slim with a nearly exemplary healthy lifestyle, it seems challenging to reduce your waist size. What's up with that?
To shed some light, Jean-Pierre Després, a distinguished professor, explains that body shape and fat distribution play significant roles in determining the risk of chronic diseases and mortality. Here's the lowdown on the hidden factors that affect our health.
Waist circumference is a more accurate predictor of these risks compared to Body Mass Index (BMI). In every BMI category, the higher your waist size, the greater the risk of mortality. Professor Després cites a study by the Mayo Clinic involving 650,000 participants followed over nine years, explaining that men with a high waist size have a reduced life expectancy of five years, while women have a reduced life expectancy of three years, compared to those with the smallest waist size.
Now, you might wonder — does body shape have an impact on these risks when it comes to the same waist size? The key here is fat distribution, says Jean-Pierre Després. Some people have soft bellies, while others have hard bellies, resembling a pregnant woman. Unfortunately, those with hard bellies are at a higher risk.
To better distinguish visceral obesity (fat inside the abdominal cavity) from subcutaneous obesity (fat stored under the skin), Professor Després has tested various indicators. With surprising simplicity, the most discriminant indicator was the level of triglycerides (a common form of lipid in the body) in the blood. So, if triglycerides are low and your blood pressure and blood sugar are normal, it's advisable to keep your waist size in check without worrying about the scale.
For those with less favorable results (prediabetes, high triglycerides…), the good news is that they have an advantage when it comes to reducing their waist size, independent of weight, according to Jean-Pierre Després. Significant benefits can be obtained by reducing waist size by 4 cm or more through physical exercise and a healthier diet.
Interestingly, genetics play a significant role in determining whether someone has visceral or subcutaneous fat, from an evolutionary perspective. Visceral fat might have had an advantage as an easily mobilized energy reservoir, but in today's world, if we don't burn the energy, the liver will turn it into lipids.
Physical activity and a Mediterranean diet are essential for reducing visceral fat and waist size. However, it's worth noting that healthy food can also lead to weight gain if it's too much sugar, animal fat, alcohol, or if you consume it to excess.
Since abdominal fat is a strong indicator of health problems like diabetes, how is it considered in menopausal women? The drop in sexual hormones during menopause is associated with a change in fat distribution. Without this hormonal protection, women accumulate visceral fat more easily. Without proper physical activity and dietary adjustments during this stage of life, the risk of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes increases, but the good news is that visceral fat is easier to mobilize than that of the buttocks and thighs.
Stay fit, stay healthy, and keep your waist size in check! Until next time, take care of yourselves!
Jean-Pierre Després, professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Laval University
- In discussing waist size and health risks, it's important to mention that nutrition plays a crucial role in women's health, particularly during menopause, as the drop in sexual hormones can lead to easier accumulation of visceral fat.
- As we delve into the topic of waist size and health problems, it's worth noting that science has highlighted fitness and exercise as significant factors in reducing visceral fat and waist size, leading to a healthier life.
- In understanding the relationship between waist size and potential health problems, it's relevant to consider health-and-wellness from a holistic perspective, including the importance of a balanced diet rich in nutrients for overall well-being.
