Every Tuesday we are going to bring you a different and important Healthy Number!
This week is a Healthy Number that is all about your Personal Health.
Do you know your waist size?
The way to measure your waist size is to wrap a soft tape measure around your body at about at your belly button which is midway between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hip bones. Without drawing in your stomach, just relax and you want the tape to be snug but not digging into the skin.
Why does this measure matter?
When the body stores fat in the cells around the abdomen those fat cells release chemicals that affect the proteins that control our appetite. When these proteins get out of kilter then we lose the ability to know when we are hungry and so eat more than we need.
Fat stored around the abdomen is dangerous because it accumulates around the body’s main organs.
When the body stores fat around the abdomen this increases the risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and some cancers.
What measurement do we want to be?
The World Health Organisation says that you have increased risk of developing a chronic disease:
Increased risk
- Men: more than 94 centimetres or 37 inches
- Women: more than 80 centimetres or 31.5 inches
Greatly increased risk
- Men: more than 102 centimetres or 40 inches
- Women: more than 88 centimetres or 35 inches
What can you do?
- Eat regular meals
- Eat wholegrains and vegetables
- Don’t skip meals
- Eat breakfast that includes protein
- Avoid fatty foods
- Sleep 8 – 10 hours a night
- Stay active as much as possible
- 20 – 30 minutes of aerobic activity 3 – 4 times per week