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Body mass and waist size can predict heart disease


A new report by Dutch scientists indicate that measuring the body mass index or waist size in overweight people can accurately predict the risk of heart disease.

What a shocker!

The study, which was conducted over 10 years, found that half of all fatal heart disease cases and a quarter of all non-fatal cases are linked to being overweight and having a high body mass index (BMI) or large waist.

Again, what a shocker!

Body mass index and waist circumference are well known risk factors for cardiovascular diseases but the Dutch researchers said their work showed BMI and waist size could actually help predict the risk of dying from or developing heart disease.

This particular study indicates the substantial effect which being overweight and obesity have on cardiovascular disease, whether fatal of non-fatal.

Researchers analyzed the measurements between both BMI and waist circumference in 20,500 men and women 1993 and 1997. 

That's a large study, for those of you not familiar with the scientific method.

When age-adjusted BMI and waist sizes were correlated with hospital records and cause-of-death data over 10 years, more than half (53 percent) of all fatal heart disease cases and around a quarter (25-30 percent) of all non-fatal cases were in people defined as overweight and obese.

Overweight people are defined as having a BMI of between 25 and 30 and obese people of 30 or more, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters squared.

So, a 160 lb person weighs about 72.5 kg.  If the same person stood 5 foot 7 1/2, (1.7145 meters). 

72.5 kg / 1.7145 (squared) or 2.94

This individual would have a BMI of 24.66. (So, I'm safe...barely... whew!)

Critics of the BMI measurement say that it does not account for athletes, body builders and cultures of indiginously large people (e.g. Samoans).

Waist circumference measurements in men were defined as between 94 and 101.9 cm for overweight and more than 102 cm for obese. In women these measurements were 80-87.9 cm for overweight and more than 88 cm for obese.

Got your tape measure out yet?  Now for the bad news.

Obesity is increasing throughout the world and is now recognized as a major global public health concern. 

Forget global warming.  Think global obesity. 

Maybe if we all lost a few pounds, we'd take the stress off the planet. 

Until then, check out these fabulous products to help you along your path to getting your BMI right!  

                                                          
                   

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