I am almost a hundred percent sure that better health is in everyone’s list of New Year’s resolutions. Gyms may be full again, with everyone weight-watching.
Do you have a weighing scale in your bathroom? Or dining room? Do you weigh yourself every morning? Or at night? Do you celebrate each time you lose a pound or cry each time you gain one?
Limitations of the weighing scale:
In reality, body weight, as measured by a regular bathroom scale, says very little about our health. I have never been a fan of the weighing scale. As a child, I was skinny so I was almost always labeled underweight, according to the scale. Then I got pregnant, and my OB gynecologist gave me a weight gain limit of 30 pounds. The obedient patient I was, I watched my weight and only gained 29 pounds in my full term despite giving in to my food cravings and not having experienced a single throw-up which is usually experienced during pregnancy.
After giving birth three times, I gained a few pounds that stayed with me. But when I weighed myself, I was still on the low side, well within the normal weight range, even if I started looking chunky in my clothes. That’s when I decided not to rely on the weighing scale anymore. In fact, I really don’t know how much I weigh now. I didn’t like the false confidence it was giving me. “Underweight daw, e bakit mukha akong suman?”:)
Relying on weight watching may make you suffer from what is called “normal weight obesity.” It means your weight may be within the normal range given your height but your body fat percentage may be too high. Seeing your weight fall within the normal range may give you a false sense of security, not knowing that you may already be at risk of some health problems related to obesity.
How about Body Mass Index (BMI)?
The Body Mass Index or BMI is a measure used by health professionals that compares body weight to height using a specific formula. The formula divides the weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters. It may be a bit complicated for non-Math wizards, but we can have our BMI calculated for us instantly by online calculators. The healthy range is supposed to be between 19 and 25. But then again, this is also limited as it does not measure the body fat. Imagine you’re a weight lifter who’s not so tall. You may register a BMI beyond the healthy range because the computation just took your total body weight, not considering how much fat versus muscle you carry in your frame. Remember, muscle is heavier than fat.
So, if the weighing scale may give you false sense of security even if you’re already a normal weight obese person, the BMI may give you a senseless concern of being obese even if you’re a healthy muscle man with six-pack abdomen!
On the other hand, it is also possible for you to have a normal BMI even if you have a “muffin top” waistline and if you do, you are also at risk, you could be a normal BMI obese person.
Shift to waist-watching:
This is why we should all watch our waistline. Our waist size is the best indicator of how much visceral fat we have in our body. Visceral fat is the fat that lies deep in our abdominal cavity where important organs such as liver, pancreas, intestines are located. This fat plays an important role in our hormonal function. Too much of visceral fat increases our risk of the following:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Breast cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Musculoskeletal disorders, etc.
Easy to remember computation:
So, for 2020 I invite you all to watch your waistline. Let’s simplify it. No need to get an online calculator like that of the BMI. No need to get that weight range that differs from time to time. It is a very simple Math.
Our waistline should not be more than 50% of our height. Beyond this, we increase our risk of any of the above diseases. Since our height is a given (take note, inches in heels are not counted
Please take note that the above limit is not yet “sexy” but just a limit to avoid the risks of the diseases earlier mentioned. Below is a table that shows you reference points to help you set your #WaistlineGoals2020.
So take your pick. Marilyn Monroe? Beyonce? Swimmer? Or just a healthy mortal who can still enjoy life and look good in his/her clothes, who will more likely live longer to enjoy happy old age. Then commit to it. Next week, I’ll talk about some hacks you can use to attain your #WHRGoal2020!
This year let’s break up with our love handles and say hello to our healthier, sexier, and more loving selves!
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. If you want to include better Financial Health for 2020 and the new decade, take the FQ Test now. Click link. http://rebrand.ly/FQTest
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Rose Fres Fausto is a speaker and author of bestselling books "Raising Pinoy Boys" and "The Retelling of The Richest Man in Babylon" (English and Filipino versions). Click this link to read samples – Books of FQ Mom. She is a behavioral economist, a certified Gallup strengths coach and the grand prize winner of the first Sinag Financial Literacy Digital Journalism Awards. Follow her on Facebook&YouTube as FQ Mom, and Twitter&Instagram as theFQMom. Her latest book is "FQ: The nth Intelligence."