Any idea what your waist measurement is at the moment?
Did you know that regardless of what your height or weight is, a healthy waist measurement should be under 80cm for a woman and 94cm for a man? Any amount over these measurement guidelines indicates that you are carrying too much visceral fat and when fat is stored around your internal organs, such as your heart, liver and pancreas it could mean you are significantly increasing your risk of developing serious diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and all sorts of other nasties, so it’s really important to keep tabs on your stomach status!
If you don’t have a fancy tape measure to hand but you do happen to have a humble piece of string, there is another method used to determine if you have too much pudgy stuff around your midriff – without the use of numbers. The ‘String Test’ – which measures your height to waist ratio, could be a more individually accurate way of determining if you’re packing too much paunch.
How to do the string test: First of all cut a piece of string long enough to span your entire height, measure from your heel to the top of your head, then fold the string in half. The folded string should then be able to fit around your middle, the ends of the string must at least meet together but preferably overlap. If the two ends do not meet, you are carrying too much belly fat baby! A healthy waistline needs to measure ‘less’ than half of your height.
The good news is that once you start to apply the simple rule of < less calories consumed + > more calories burned, the visceral fat is gleaned by the body for energy, which = < less excess fat stored around your precious organs, keeping you much healthier and potentially adding years to your life. Remember to keep your piece of string handy for regular check ups around the Ol’ front porch! - This article has been published in the June edition of Life Magazines - http://www.lifemagazines.co.uk