Belly Fat

You would have to admit that six pack abs look great. I mean they make the human body look fantastic even if the rest of the body is not trim, taught and terrific. If I could use an analogy it would be like going to someone’s living room where they might have reasonable looking furniture but if they have a 42 inch plasma television then all of a sudden the whole room looks sensational.

On a serious note though, this blog is not just about how great abs look. It’s also about the health risks that are around if you have belly fat.

With the increase in obesity in recent years, most people are aware, from the media, of what the health risks are of being overweight. So it’s no surprise when I say that having lots of belly fat is unhealthy. But when the medical industry show direct links between belly fat and serious disease, then it’s time for you ab-seekers to start working out.

A study conducted by a Swedish professor and his team found that there are statistically significant associations between waist to hip circumference and the occurrence of stroke. In 1984 the British Medical Journal reported that Professor B. Larsson studied 792 men, all born in 1913 and all with residence in the same town in Sweden. Following up the men 13 years later his team found that 33 of them suffered from a stroke and that those men had higher waist to hip ratios than the non cases of stroke.

Now that is scary. You might think “well I’m not that big around the waist”, but in proportion to your hips you might be in the higher percentile. The study found that the higher the waist compared to hips ratio, the higher the risk of stroke. It also reported that none of the men with a ratio of 10% or less had a stroke.

So now calculate your own ratio.

How To Calculate Waist to Hips Ratio

1. Get a tape measure and wrap it around your hips at the widest point (over the hip bones) and read the number on the tape measure where the two ends meet

(for example 37inches or 94cms).

2. Get the tape measure and wrap it around your waist at the widest point (just under the belly button) and read the number on the tape measure where the two ends meet

(for example 35inches or 89cms).

3. Using a calculator or your mathematical brain divide the waist figure by the hips figure. (for example in inches 35 / 37 = 95% or in cms 89 / 94 = 95%)

If you haven’t already started exercising and eating well to lose belly fat then hopefully this information will help you to get started.

A flat stomach is not just for looks, it’s for life.