If you haven’t noticed, we all come in different shapes and sizes. Some of us are heavier than others. Some of us describe ourselves as pear-shaped, others as apple-shaped. But researchers are discovering that if you are apple-shaped – that is, with excess fat that rests around your middle – you may be at increased risk for disease.
The majority of people in this country are either obese or overweight, which alone increases the risk of diseases. But researchers are now finding that more people in the United States have increased abdominal fat as well, which is a risk factor in and of itself for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes.
Waist circumference
Researchers have found that as waist circumference increases the risk of disease increases, and the risk of dying from a heart attack or cardiovascular disease also increases. In one study, women with a waist circumference of 30 to 32 inches had double the risk of developing coronary heart disease compared with women who had normal waist circumferences of less than 28 inches. According to the National Institutes of Health, it is generally thought that women with a waist size greater than 35 and men with a waist size greater than 40 have a significantly higher risk of disease than those with normal waist sizes. But as we see above, even people with smaller waist sizes can have an increased risk of disease.
Another Organ?
We don’t necessarily think of fat as an organ in the body in the same way we think of the heart, liver, or our kidneys as organs. But researchers are discovering that, in fact, excess fat acts as an organ. The excess fat is linked to increased free fatty acids, which leads to the release of certain hormones in the body that can promote inflammation. These effects can lead to increased insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes and increased atherosclerosis, which can lead to heart and other vascular diseases. In other words, the way that fat affects the body is complex and significant.
Waist circumference is just one tool to use to see if a person is at risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Some studies however have shown that waist circumference is a better predictor of cardiovascular disease than the body mass index (BMI).
Ask your doctor to measure your waist to see if your waist size is normal or if you need to work on decreasing your waist size through proper nutrition and physical activity. Also ask your doctor about your waist size as it relates to your risk for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.
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