According to a 2008 article published by the American College of Sports Medicine, nearly one-third of adults in the U.S. are obese. The American College of Sports Medicine warns that men with a waist circumference greater than 40.2 inches and women with a waist greater than 34.6 inches are at high risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
BMI and Waist Circumference
Calculate your body mass index, or BMI, by first multiplying your weight in pounds by 704.5, then dividing the answer by your height in inches squared. A BMI of 30 means you are obese, and a BMI greater than 40 indicates you are morbidly obese. According to Paul Ribisl, Ph.D., the BMI and waist circumference of U.S. adults have been increasing at alarming rates, and there are more people with a high-risk waist circumference than with a high-risk BMI. Having a large amount of fat in your butt and thighs is less risky compared to having plenty of fat around your abdomen. If you have small legs and a large tummy, you are at higher risk for developing chronic disease.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome, also called insulin resistance syndrome, occurs when insulin is unable to lower your blood sugar effectively. As your waist circumference and abdominal fat increase, so does your risk for developing metabolic syndrome. Ribisl says that metabolic syndrome means you have three or four of these symptoms: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglyceride levels, low good cholesterol levels and a waist circumference greater than 40.2 inches men and 34.6 inches in women.
Abdominal Obesity and Stress
Cortisol is a steroid hormone your body releases in response to stress, eating, exercising, dieting and waking up. Cortisol regulates your energy by selecting fat, carbohydrates or proteins to meet your body's needs. It helps your baby fat cells grow into mature fat cells. Cortisol moves fat from your fat storage areas into the fat cell deposits in your abdomen. Your abdominal fat cells have more cortisol-activating enzymes and are more sensitive to cortisol than the fat under your skin. The longer you are under a significant amount of stress, the more cortisol causes fat storage in your abdomen, and the larger your waist circumference becomes.
Exercising and Eating
In order to lose weight, you must eat fewer calories than you burn. You have to burn 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, you must do 60 to 90 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week to lose weight or maintain your weight loss. You lose fat from all over your body, not just in your abdominal area. Do four days of aerobic activity and two days of resistance training. Start with 10 minutes of exercise, gradually building up to the recommended amount for weight loss.
Warning
Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program. If your waist is very near 40.2 inches for men and 34.6 inches for women, you might have health conditions that require medical attention and that might get worse with unsupervised exercise.
References
- ACSM: Obesity and Exercise
- "Health and Fitness Journal"; Clinical Applications: Toxic "Waist" Dump: Our Abdominal Visceral Fat; Paul Ribisl, Ph.D.; July/Aug. 2004
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Public Health Guidelines
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