Are You Fatter Than You Think?
by
Anna Hodgekiss
Daily Mail
With the festive
season over, many of us are planning to turn over a new leaf and
shed a few pounds this year with diet and exercise.
And new research
suggests that when it comes to weight, Britain is in dire need of
a reality check.
A Bupa study
published last week found that four in ten obese people consider
themselves a ‘healthy’ size, and too many of us are ‘blissfully
unawareÂ’ of the true impact our lifestyles are having on our
health.
Experts called
for better education about weight and the host of diseases that
being overweight is linked to, including heart disease, cancer,
diabetes and dementia.
So, are you
fatter than you think?
We put five
people to the test. Like many, they didnÂ’t think their weight
was a serious problem. So we checked their dimensions as well as
giving them standard health checks. Chris Jones, head of physiology
at Nuffield Health, where the tests were carried out, then analysed
the results. Each underwent the following tests:
Body Mass
Index (BMI): This measurement is used to assess whether youÂ’re
underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese for your height.
A healthy BMI is between 18 and 25; 25 to 30 is overweight and 30
or above obese.
Waist to
Hip Ratio (WHR): Too much fat around the middle is strongly
linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer – that’s
why being an apple shape (with a chunky waist) is more unhealthy
than being a pear shape (where the weight sits on the hips and thighs).
Your dimensions
are calculated using the WHR – just divide your waist measurement
by your hip measurement.
You need to
take urgent action if your ratio is more than 1.0 for a man (in
other words, your waist is bigger than your hips so you are apple-shaped)
or 0.8 for a woman because you are at greater risk of chronic diseases.
Blood pressure:
High blood pressure will place strain on the heart and walls of
the blood vessels – it doubles the risk of heart disease and
increases the risk of stroke and blindness. The ideal is 120/80mmHg
or below.
Aerobic
fitness: This is measured using your pulse – the time interval
between your heartbeats is used to find out how well your body takes
up and uses oxygen. Aerobic fitness is linked to coronary artery
disease, bowel cancer and depression.
The reading
is a VO2 (or volume of oxygen) figure. The average for a 30-year-old
man is 41-45 (for a woman, itÂ’s 34-37); for a 40-year-old man,
36-41 (for a woman, 30-33); for a 50-year-old man, 33-36 (for a
woman, 26-29).
Resting
heart rate: A high rate may indicate strain on the heart and
lungs; between 60 and 79 beats per minute is a normal level.
Blood glucose:
High levels of blood sugar raise the risk of diabetes and heart
disease. Less than 5.8 after not eating for 12 hours is a good level.
Cholesterol
levels: A reading above 5.0 mmol/L raises the risk of blocked blood
vessels, triggering strokes and heart attacks.
‘WHO KNEW
CAFFEINE MADE YOU FAT?’
Penny Green,
51, a charity director, lives in Eaton Bray, Bedfordshire, with
her husband and three children.
‘I’m
never going to be small, but I suspect I could do with losing a
stone or two. I find exercise difficult due to time constraints,
plus problems and injuries with my feet and ankles.
‘I work
for hours at a time at a computer and, until recently, spent a lot
of time caring for my mum, who has dementia.
‘I have
trouble sleeping and have been told I might have a thyroid problem
– this is being investigated. Though I drink seven glasses
of water a day, I also have seven cups of tea, too.Â’
RESULTS:
Weight:
13st 11lb
Height:
5ft 8in
Waist: 42.5in
BMI: Overweight/borderline
obese (29.6) – needs to lose 2st 2lb for a healthy BMI
Waist to
hip ratio: Very high risk of chronic disease (0.92)
Blood pressure:
Normal (127/8)
Aerobic
fitness score: Fair (VO2: 23)
Resting
heart rate: Borderline too fast (79 beats per minute)
Blood glucose:
Normal (4.6)
Cholesterol:
Raised (6.33)
EXPERT VERDICT:
Unless she does something about her weight, Penny will be storing
up a whole host of potential health problems for the future.
Her BMI is
higher than it should be though, worryingly, itÂ’s not dissimilar
to many women of her age.
As women age,
their tendency to store weight moves from the hips to the waist
and this is where Penny stores it. This fat raises the risk of most
chronic diseases such as arthritis, cardio-vascular disease, diabetes
and cancer.
She says sheÂ’s
been stressed lately – stress increases the production of the
hormone cortisol, which can cause weight gain around the waist.
Caffeine also
stimulates the release of stress hormones. If she does have a thyroid
problem, then she must discuss the issue of medication with her
GP as thyroid function can affect weight and cholesterol level.
If Penny aims
to walk her dogs for 45 minutes at least three days a week, that
will ease her into being active again, but she would need to break
into a sweat.
PENNY SAYS:
‘Given that my mum has vascular dementia and being overweight
increases the risk of it, I really want to get my weight down.
‘I believe
I can go for a walk around three times a week – before, I thought
getting slightly short of breath was a sign to stop. Now IÂ’ll
keep going.
‘I also
had no idea that stress and caffeine could be contributory to my
weight. So I will swap to fruit teas.Â’
January
6, 2012
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Mail