For Women, Think Waist Rather Than Weight

 

A study published in 2013 in the journal Diabetes Care suggests that waist circumference my be a better indicator of the risk of developing Type-2 diabetes than weight. While the study included only women, there is no real reason to think the same advice would not apply to men. The researchers followed over 135,000 postmenopausal women over nearly 15 years before concluding that waist size predicted diabetes risk better than weight. A large waist circumference indicates an accumulation of fat in the intra-abdominal region - and fat in this area can impact internal organs and is more metabolically active than fat in other areas of the body. When used alone, a weight measurement is not especially accurate at predicting health and heart disease risk either. Used in conjunction with waist circumference, it provides a clearer picture.

In the cited study, women with a waist measurement between 31 and 35 inches had an almost 60% higher risk of developing Type-2 diabetes than those with a smaller waist. Women with a waist over 35 inches had nearly three times the risk as women with a waist under 31 inches.

A larger waist circumference is often caused by intra-abdominal visceral fat. Visceral fat is fat that develops between and around internal organs. This type of fat differs from "regular" fat that sits just beneath the skin and can be pinched. It is deep within the abdomen and is considered to have very high inflammatory activity.

There are several effective ways to reduce your waist circumference in a healthy manner.

• Lifestyle changes, including eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise. This should be your "go to" approach.
  
• Quitting smoking. Which, lets face it, you should do regardless of your waist size.
  
• If you already have type 2 diabetes, metformin and thiazolidinedione medications may provide benefits in helping to reduce waist circumference

If this is a concern for you, speak with your primary care provider to determine the best method for you to reduce your waist circumference if you're over the recommended guidelines.