Distribution of Body Fat


Individuals who store a large portion of their body fat in the trunk area ("apple-shaped obesity") have a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes than those who carry the fat on the hips and buttocks ("pear-shaped obesity"). A simple measurement to evaluate the degree to which you are shaped like an apple or a pear is the waist-to-hip ratio. Women with values above .86 and men with values above .95 are at a high risk of developing these diseases. To measure the waist-to-hip ratio, use the following procedure:

1. Wear little clothing, allowing the tape to be placed at the proper location.

2. Stand in front of a mirror and place the measuring tape around the narrowest part of your torso, between the umbilicus (belly button) and the bottom of the sternum (breast bone). Keep the tape parallel to the ground. Record in centimeters or inches.

3. Place the tape around your buttocks where it is the largest. Keep the tape parallel to the ground and measure in centimeters or inches.

4. Divide the measurement in step 2 by the measurement in step 3. For example, if a male has a waist circumference of 96.5 cm (38 in.) and a hip circumference of 99.1 cm (39 in.), then his waist-to-hip ratio is .97 and he is at a high risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic disease.

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This article was sent to us by: Evgenia Valcova at 02072010

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