USA Health And Fitness Biography
Source Google.com.pk
Know Your Numbers: Waist circumference
Did you know that extra abdominal fat raises your risk for type 2 diabetes and heart disease? Measuring your waist circumference is a quick and easy way to know if you are at increased risk for these life-threatening conditions.
How to determine your health risk using waist circumference:
1. Get the measurement.
Using a non-elastic measuring tape, wrap the tape around your abdomen at the smallest point at or near the navel (belly button).
Pull the tape tight enough to keep it in position, but not so tight as to create an indentation in the skin.
If you do not have a large enough measuring tape, use a piece of string and measure the length of the string with a ruler.
2. Learn your risk.
You are at high risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, and stroke if:
Most of your weight is around your mid-section versus your hips
OR
Your waist circumference is:
Women-greater than 35 inches (86 cm)
Men-greater than 40 inches (102 cm)
If you have a “high-risk” waist circumference, yet still have a
normal body mass index, you are considered at high risk for the
above conditions.
3. Take action.
If you have excess abdominal fat, you can begin to reduce your disease risk by losing just 5-10% of your body weight! Here are a few tips to get started:
Start an exercise plan. It can be as simple as investing in a pedometer and setting a goal number of steps each day. Aim to build up to at least 5,000 steps per day and you’ll be well on your way to improve your health
To effectively lose weight (and keep it off!), you need to make changes to the way you eat. Start with a self-evaluation. What are one or two easy and doable changes that you could make (and stick with) to decrease the number of calories in your day? For example, a switch to 2% from whole milk, or forgoing the mayonnaise on your sandwich could get you off to a great start.
Ask yourself how ready you are to make these changes, and how confident you are that you will be successful? Then, set up a plan to push forward. If you need help to get started, consider talking with your health care provider or a health coach.
Metabolic syndrome
About 35% of adults in the United States have metabolic syndrome, a serious medical condition that raises your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. A person with metabolic syndrome is twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke and 5 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes than someone without it!
What is metabolic syndrome?
Metabolic syndrome is not a specific disease, but rather a group of risk factors. You have metabolic syndrome if you have 3 or more of the following:
A large waist circumference (over 35 inches for women and over 40 inches for men)
High triglycerides (a fat found in the blood) or you already take a medication to lower your triglycerides (≥150mg/dL)
Low good (HDL) cholesterol (<40mg/dL for men and <50mg/dL for women)
High blood pressure (≥135/≥85) or you already take a medication to lower your blood pressure
Elevated fasting blood sugar (or “prediabetes”) (≥110 mg/dL)
How to lower your risk of metabolic syndrome
Here is the good news. Metabolic syndrome is closely related to lifestyle choices. If you make the commitment to a healthy lifestyle, you have the power to successfully treat your condition or prevent it from happening in the first place. These 10 steps can help you get started:
Get a checkup. Healthy or not, if you haven’t had one in over a year, it’s time to visit your health care provider. If you have any of the risk factors listed above, it is much easier to treat if caught early.
Take medical advice seriously and return for all follow-up visits to your health care provider. If you cannot follow your treatment plan, discuss trying a different plan that may be more likely to maintain.
Embrace lifestyle change. Though genetics and age do play a part, the main cause of metabolic syndrome is an unhealthy lifestyle. If you make positive changes in your eating patterns and physical activity, you can reverse metabolic syndrome.
Aim for a modest weight loss. Your health can improve in a big way by losing just 5–10% of your current body weight. Start slow with small goals.
Make a plan. Sure, losing weight is all about eating less and moving more. But how are you going to do it? Begin by setting small, reachable goals related to diet and exercise.
Educate yourself on what changes need to be made to your diet. The DASH diet, Mediterranean diet, and MyPlate are safe and evidence-based eating plans that can improve your health.
Keep a food log. This is a very effective tool for weight loss.
Get moving. You can’t get healthy without getting active. Aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity per week. Walking is a great way to get this in!
Find an accountability partner. Having a friend or family member who supports your efforts and will check in with you on a regular basis is invaluable.
Don’t forget the other “biggies”. Though they are not part of metabolic syndrome, smoking and high bad (LDL) cholesterol are still major risk factors for heart disease.
Know Your Numbers: Body Mass Index
Body Mass Index (BMI) is a convenient way to estimate how much fat is on your body. Knowing your BMI can help determine your risk for dangerous health conditions that are associated with increased body fat.
How to determine your health risk using BMI:
1. Ask your doctor for your BMI number, based on your height and weight, or, calculate it yourself using the ACEfit.com BMI Calculator
2. Learn your risk:
If you are overweight or obese, you develop an increased risk for many disabling and life-threatening diseases. As your BMI score goes up, so does the likelihood that you will have one or more of the following conditions:
High blood pressure
Heart attack
Stroke
Type 2 diabetes
Breathing problems
Certain cancers (uterine, breast, colon, prostate)
Gall stones
Arthritis
Being overweight or obese means you are at higher risk for premature death. In fact, research has shown that obesity reduces life expectancy by as much as 10 to 20 years.
4. Know the limitations:
BMI does not take into account that muscle weighs more than fat. For this reason, a person with a muscular build (i.e. football player or wrestler) may be misclassified as overweight. In this situation a waist circumference is a better measure of disease risk.
5. Take action:
If you are underweight, discuss strategies to reach a normal weight
with your health care provider.
If you are a normal weight, make healthy food choices and participate in regular physical activity in order to stay where you are at.
If you are overweight or obese, you can begin to lower your disease risk by losing just 5-10% of your current body weight!
Refer to the Fit Facts, “How to start an exercise program,” “Small steps to increase physical activity, and “10 Tips For Choosing a Quality Weight Loss Program.”
Before beginning any weight loss program, discuss your plans with your health care provider.
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