Do This With Your Stomach At Least Once A Year To Check Your Risk Of Heart Disease – Health Digest
The CDC classifies people as overweight if their BMI is over 25 and obese if it’s over 30. According to a 2010 study in Obesity Research & Clinical Practice, men with a BMI over 30 are 80% more likely to develop coronary heart disease compared to men between 18.5 and 22.9. Women with a BMI over 30 are twice as likely. Waist circumference also says something about your risk of heart disease. Compared to men with a waist circumference of 33 inches or lower, men whose waist measures 40 inches or more are 2.25 times more likely to develop heart disease. Women with a waist measure of 34 inches or more have a 2.75 greater risk of heart disease.
People who have a lot of muscle carry more weight even if they have less body fat. That’s why BMI is somewhat inadequate in predicting your health. However, how much weight you carry around your midsection might give an indication of visceral fat, which is more harmful to your overall health. Visceral fat is the fat around your organs, and you’re less likely to see it like you do subcutaneous fat (fat under your skin).
Your BMI might be in a relatively healthy range, but your health could still be at risk. A 2008 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that people with a normal BMI and a large waist circumference had a 20% higher mortality risk compared to those with a normal waist circumference.
