Your health is affected not only by how much body fat you have, but also by where most of the fat is located on your body. Waist to hip ratio (WHR) analyzes the relationship between your waist and hip measurements to help you understand your body-type and current health status. Most people store their body fat in two distinct ways, often called "apple" and "pear" shapes.
These terms refer to where you carry excess body fat ? around your middle (apple) or around your hips and buttocks (pear). Carrying excess body fat around your middle increases health risks significantly more than carrying fat around your hips, thighs and other areas of your body.
To determine if you have a healthy WHR, first use a measuring tape to obtain the circumference of your waist, just above your belly button. Then measure the circumference of your hips at the widest part of your buttocks.
To determine your WHR, simply divide your waist circumference from your hip circumference, in either inches or centimeters. If you are male and have a WHR greater than 1.0 ? or a female with a WHR greater than 0.85 ? you are considered to have an "apple shape", meaning that you have more body fat located in your abdominal area. If your WHR is less than 1.0 (male) or 0.85 (female), you either have a healthy body fat percentage or considered to have a "pear shape", which means that you tend to have more body fat located in peripheral areas of your body, like your hips and/or buttocks. Apple-shaped (rather than pear-shaped) body-types are at increased risk for the health problems associated with obesity, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke.
If your WHR does indicate an apple-shape, don't see this as a negative result. Instead treat it as a call-to-action to improve your daily habits. There is nothing you can do to change your body-type ? that's something you inherited ? but you can take steps to improve your health and reduce your risk for the above-mentioned diseases. Even if you have a genetic predisposition to being apple-shaped, the way you live is what ultimately determines whether or not you gain excess fat. Genes clearly play a role, but they certainly don't determine what you're going to have for dinner or how often you exercise.
As long as you don't have too much excess body fat, being an apple versus a pear doesn't put you at special risk ? it's just something to keep in mind. After all, the more you understand your body-type, the easier it will be to create and implement a routine that's right for you; you're also more likely to feel good about the progress you're making towards a healthy lifestyle. And even those with a pear-shape should try to keep their body fat within a healthy range, to help avoid the various problems associated with obesity.
My fat loss and fitness plan "Every Body Loses" will give you the tools you need to begin a healthy weight loss program. The style of eating and exercising outlined in my book is one that you can follow for life without feeling deprived. If you're serious about losing fat and getting fit go to www.aim4nutrition.com and get started TODAY!
Good Luck and Be Well,
Aimee Deak
Personal Trainer & Nutrition Analyst
AIM 4 NUTRITION
Aimee Deak is a certified personal trainer, nutrition analyst and author of the book, "Every Body Loses", an easy-to follow, step-by-step guide to fat loss.
You can find more information about fat loss and exercise on her website http://www.aim4nutrition.com
shuttle from O'Hare Brocton .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareLooking for Diet Programs on net is like looking for... Read More
You have finally decided to tackle weight management and lose... Read More
From personal experience I have myself like all of you... Read More
How many calories you consume has a big impact on... Read More
If you've been enjoying life after gastric bypass surgery you... Read More
Gastric bypass patients often find themselves regaining weight soon after... Read More
An eating disorder is a life threatening condition that often... Read More
Essential Fats for Weight LossOver the past few decades, the... Read More
Now this is the real American Dream! I'm here to... Read More
In our never ending search for the illusive "Fountain of... Read More
Have you ever wondered with all the weight loss programs... Read More
Most Americans do not get enough calcium in their diets;... Read More
Remember that movie with Jim Carey, "Dumb and Dumber?" And... Read More
Losing weight is a lifelong commitment. It takes patience and... Read More
I'm sure you have heard it before, but one of... Read More
A "normal-tummy" looks at the food pyramid from the bottom... Read More
"Hey, you have reduced now, compared to the last time... Read More
Have you ever just felt like you were doing everything... Read More
The people of earlier times depended on the rich resource... Read More
Yes Virginia, the fail-safe weight loss formula exists.It's so simple,... Read More
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity... Read More
Dieting will continue to fail most dieters, unless personalized weight... Read More
Losing Weight is All About Counting Calories/Carbs and Exercising. Or... Read More
Whole grains and weight loss have a definite, scientific, and... Read More
Very few Americans are satisfied with their current weights. There... Read More
Chicago charter limousine service Hickory Hills ..1. CUT THE SIMPLE CARBS.It's unfortunate that the majority of... Read More
Finally - you are alone. No one else is around.... Read More
Have a conversation about gastric bypass surgery with just about... Read More
One common question I receive is, "What do you do... Read More
Diet information is everywhere. In advertisements, on TV, in magazines;... Read More
Have you ever worried about something so much it paralyzed... Read More
Would you run out of fingers, and maybe even toes,... Read More
Dieting is not easy. If it were, we would probably... Read More
Fat does Not Make You Fat. One of the other... Read More
*Do you truly believe that not eating or cutting back... Read More
Yes, you must be aware of the following 7 points... Read More
For some of us, food is warmth and love. We... Read More
What's a Low Carb Diet Really Mean?When I hear low... Read More
I learned about gaining weight when I heard the question... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
For about 50 years now, Americans have been eating low... Read More
When it comes to the matter of weight loss, peoples... Read More
* Not walking on a treadmill everyday for 45 minutes... Read More
In December 2003, the FDA incorporated an ephedra ban making... Read More
To lose weight and keep it off you need an... Read More
Since the reintroduction of Ephedra based products on about April... Read More
With the popularity of low carb diets such as Atkins,... Read More
We have such good weight loss intentions. We emotionally beat... Read More
As a part of a children's diet and health study,... Read More
Some of you will not like what I have to... Read More
Weight Loss |