You may be scratching your head upon hearing that your life span may be determined by your waist size, but evidence released from scientists in the UK claim just this. Scientist found that a waist to height ratio of 80 per cent or more could reduce a person’s life expectancy by up to 20 years. Ideally “keep your waist circumference to less than half your height.” according to Dr. Margaret Ashwell, a co founder of the study. To read more click here.
Here’s the long and short of it:
Divide your height in half. Measure your waist size, starting at your navel and completely around. Now compare the two numbers. Ideally your waist size should be 1/2 or less of your height. Even waist to height ratio of 60% or more could reduce your life expectancy up to a 1 year.
I like the ease of this measuring strategy. As a health professional, I encourage you to know your Body Mass Index (BMI) but it is not an easy thing to accurately measure. One reason is because we often rely on scales or BMI measurement tools that often give differing results. I have personally stood on my scale and gotten one % then to used a handheld measuring device and receive a slightly different answer. The most accurate measures of BMI are time consuming and require a bathing suit. Another reason is because BMI does not differentiate between muscle and and fat on a person’s frame.
I encourage you to have both of these measurements in your back pocket on your journey to living a long healthy life.
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