General - Fitness Mantra : A Health and Fitness Blog

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Measuring Tape Around Apple Just last month you saw how passé it was to measure a person’s BMI to determine if there was a sign of obesity and how Body Fat Percentage Is A Better Obesity Indicator. Well, hot on its heels is the story this week that doctors in Canada are now beginning to wonder if waist size is the new measure of obesity.

This recommendation is based on findings from the “2006 Canadian clinical practice guidelines on the management and prevention of obesity in adults and children” (PDF 2.57 MB) published last week in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

While abdominal fat is the most dangerous of the lot, nothing could be simpler for a doctor to measure during a person’s regular physicals than girth. According to the article, doctors are being told to consider waist-size as a new “vital sign” - right up there with blood-pressure and heart-rate.

A girth greater than 94 centimetres (37 inches) in men and 80 cm (31.5 inches) in women significantly increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Obesity, especially abdominal obesity, increases the risk of everything from coronary artery disease and colon cancer to suicide. Every increase in waist circumference of 14 cm for men and 14.9 cm for women raises the likelihood of heart attack or stroke by up to 40 per cent.

Want to stay one step ahead of your waist? Easy: just make sure you regularly use signal clothes!

Before you start hurriedly looking for that measuring tape, peruse the week’s other top health and fitness stories:

Does drinking your fruit and veggies count?: Many of us have trouble meeting recommendations to make vegetables and fruits a major part of our diets. Is drinking more juice the solution?
Schools serving healthier food: Healthier food and drinks are slowly finding their way into U.S. school lunchrooms, just under a year after leading companies first voluntarily agreed to ban high-calorie, low-nutrition products from schools.
New obesity gene may pack on extra 7 pounds: Researchers have found another gene that may keep you from fitting in your jeans.
Fish pollutants’ link to diabetes: More evidence has emerged suggesting a link between pollutants found in oily fish and type two diabetes.
TV-less family dinners best for healthy eating: The benefits of sitting down to a family dinner are lost if the television is on during the meal, according to a survey of more than 1,300 low-income families with preschool children.
Milk Beats Soy For Post-weighlifting Muscle Gain: Got milk? Weightlifters will want to raise a glass after a new study found that milk protein is significantly better than soy at building muscle mass.
To Lose Weight, Rethink Your Plate: Gone are mega-portions of meat and casseroles. The 21st century plate is a colorful display of fruits, vegetables, salads, whole grains, beans, nuts, low-fat dairy, and lean meats, fish, and poultry.
Diabetes problems hiking U.S. health costs: Poorly managed type 2 diabetes costs the U.S. health system an extra $22.9 billion a year in direct medical costs to treat heart, eye, kidney and other serious health problems associated with the disease, diabetes groups reported on Tuesday.
Most Canadians eating far too much salt: study: Most Canadians consume far more salt in their daily diet than recommended, according to a new study from Statistics Canada.
Diets Don’t Work Long-Term: Most people who go on diets soon gain back any lost weight, a UCLA study suggests.
Fitness in a Time of Mold and Pollen: You’re coughing and sneezing, cursing the pollen count and — maybe worst of all, if you’re a committed jogger like me — having your usual hour’s run come to a wheezing halt after 20 minutes.
The Facts About Fats: Fat is no longer a four-letter word in nutrition circles, but knowing how much of it to chew — and what kind — can be tough.
Study: Cocoa calms blood pressure: Some may see a cup of tea as soothing, but chocolate is more likely to lower oneâ€™s blood pressure, German researchers reported Monday.
Severely Obese Are Fastest Growing Segment of Overweight Americans: The proportion of severely obese Americans — those with a body mass index of 40 or more — increased by 50 percent from 2000 to 2005, twice as fast as the increase in moderate obesity, a new study finds.
Waist size the new measure of obesity: Doctors across Canada are being urged to screen every adult and child over age 10 for weight-related health problems using the simplest measure of all: waist size.
Diabetes May Lead to Precursor of Alzheimer’s: Adults with diabetes may be at higher risk for developing mild cognitive impairment, a condition that is often seen as a precursor to Alzheimer’s disease, new research found.
Calories Count More Than Food Type: If you’re trying to lose weight, calories count more than the types of food in your diet, a U.S. Department of Agriculture-Tufts University study shows.
A Campaign That Seeks Huge Losses (Of Weight): Spearheaded by Ian Smith, a doctor and fitness guru, the 50 Million Pound Challenge is a national campaign underwritten by State Farm Insurance Co. to improve the health of African Americans.
Fat ‘counters vitamin C benefits’: The presence of fat in the stomach may override the anti-cancer effects of vitamin C, research suggests.