There are 2 main body types: the apple shaped or pear. Which are you? Research shows that the apple is the more dangerous of the two because the fat is centered on your middle, where your heart, lungs, and various other organs are situated. Now we can’t control our body type — we’re born with it, but we can control how lean our bellies are.
There are a myriad of studies (check out the CDC) which show the dangers of excess fat around our middle. Here is the bottom line:
Women with lean bellies are:
- 57% less likely to die of heart disease
- 69% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
- 40% less likely to develop arthritis of the hips or knees
- 12% less likely to have a stroke
- 40% less likely to die of cancer
- 21% less likely to experience arousal dysfunction
Men with lean bellies are:
- 32% less likely to die of heart disease
- 83% less likely to develop type 2 diabetes
- 63% less likely to develop arthritis
- 32% less likely to develop sleep apnea
- 45% less likely to develop cancer
- 61% less likely to have erectile dysfunction
Measure your waistline. A woman’s waist circumference should be no greater than 35 inches (88 centimeters). Men should have a waist circumference no more than 40 inches (102 centimeters). In the United States, approximately $90 billion dollars annually is attributable to weight-related disease. Tax payers pay half of this cost through Medicaid and Medicare. Don’t be one of the statistics!
(Check out the previous tips: Tip #1 & Tip #2 in week one, Tip #3 & Tip #4 in week 2, and Tip #5 & Tip #6 in week 3).
TIP #7: CHEW. Take smaller bites and chew your food longer. According to a study published in the scientific journal Physiology and Behavior, it may help you eat less at meals. If you slow down and enjoy your food, your brain has more time to register the eating process. In short: Don’t take the term “slider” literally.TIP #8: EAT PROTEIN. This nutrient has the ability to raise the level of peptides in your stomach. These little peptides relay messages telling your brain that your stomach is full. Your body also expends more energy trying to digest it.
Do you have a tip to share?
(c) 2016 Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer
