YOUR HEALTH

Another poor weight guideline

 

The Globe and Mail gave credibility to a new quick measure of ‘healthy’ weight when it published an article in its Health Advisor section, March 12, 2014, L5, by Gilles Beaudin, “Never mind the BMI ratio. It’s all about the waist.”
 

Mr. Beaudin is not a fan of the BMI  (nor am I as I have argued in previous blogs) but prefers to use belly fat as a weight/health guide -- with a new twist.

 
He concurs with the new medical emphasis on belly fat but finds the Health Canada guideline of staying under 94 cm for males and 80 cm for females a problem as it does not account for differences in height and overall body size.

 So he recommends dividing one's girth (measured just above the hips) by one's height In line with a 2011 review study.  The resulting number -- if  0.50 or less, indicates a healthy belly ratio. 

If someone has a girth of 42 inches and a height of 75 inches, 42/75= 0.56, the person is overweight.

 

Unfortunately,  this  guideline  is also flawed as it fails to take into account there are 3 different body/bone frames: thin, average and broad boned -- for men and for women (each of which has distinctive weight and muscle building issues).  

See http://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/body-types-ectomorph-mesomorph-endomorph.html and http://teemajor.com/teemajorsblog/3-male-female-body-types-explained ).

      

 

 

Consequently, a muscular NFL lineman and a wirey sprinter -- because of their different bone structures -- would have radically different belly circumferences even if exactly the same height.

 

The above numerical example of  42/75 = 0.56 = overweight  applies to me, with my broad frame -- and only if I suck in my belly totally and make it concave.  Put simply, I would still be 0.56 and classified as overweight even without any belly!!!!

Also, as everyone knows, one's girth changes and enlarges after a big meal or when constipated.

 

So sorry Mr Beaudin, your refined girth guide is also seriously flawed. It ignored body frame variables.

 

The simplest and only reliable test of belly fat is the old high school gym guideline. Stand straight (in front of a mirror is helpful);  spread your thumb and index finger apart fully; place them on your bare skin a few inches to the side of your belly button with the thumb at or above the bellybutton height and the index finger well below it (i.e. the love handle zone). Then gently pinch your waist. 

 

Focus only on the bulge’s height and ignore how much the bulge sticks out as loose skin -- especially among older people -- will allow even skinny people to have a lot hang out.

 

 Lean teenagers and athletes will usually end up with under a ½ inch in height.

 If the bulge height is about 1 inch, you have some extra fat.

 If you end up with 2 inches or more in height, you have a fair bit of excess fat. And depending on your height and body frame you may not be obese, just overweight, but attention must be paid.

 

The pinch test is a general guide but works on anyone, even Sumo wrestlers and Olympic weight lifters who have huge --all muscle-- bellies.

 

And remember: life insurance actuarial studies have shown for decades that an extra 10% in weight extends your life expectancy as it is a ‘safety cushion’  when illness or injury lead to weight loss. The extra weight protects you from crossing the tipping point as too skinny is as deadly as obese.

 

On me, at 75 inches tall and broad framed, that extra 10% shows up on the pinch test at about 1 inch or the width of my thumb.

If the pinch test shows excessive fat for your body, increase your level of exercise with brisk walking, biking, swimming, sports and home or club exercise machines. You can jog as well though it is notorious for shin splints and leg joint damage.

And review your eating habits:  avoid late meals and junk food snacking; eat breakfast,  a small lunch and a small dinner.   And watch the over 100 calories in a normal serving of regular pop, beer, liquor and wine, and the whopping calories in mixed alcohol drinks.