Black Weight Loss Success

The Official Blog of the Black Women Losing Weight Community. Tips, articles and weight loss resources for African American Women.

Join Our Email List:
We respect your email privacy
You are here: Home / Archives for body mass index

body mass index

Can Waist Size Reflect Health and Longevity?

by Leave a Comment

belly fatFew would argue that a toned guy with six-pack abs walking down the beach probably leads a more healthier life than the fellow with a beer gut spilling out of his ‘frankie says relax’ tanktop as he double-fists a cold brew. While exercise and eating right has a tendency to limit health problems, is it a guaranteed fact that beer-belly guy is unhealthy? For years people have made the correlation that waist size reflects health and longevity so let’s weigh out the facts.

The Two Types of Waist Fat

The fat that builds up around our waist is mainly caused by two things – a sedentary lifestyle and poor food choices. Sure, there are likely a health issue or two that cause waist fat, but for this article I’m ruling those issues out because that is not the case for most people. That being said a big belly isn’t necessarily a health red flag…as long as the fat is the right kind. One type of fatty tissue found around the abdomen is called subcutaneous fat that is stored directly underneath the skin. This type of fat acts similar to other fat around the body, it’s not especially beneficial but at the same time it’s no real special threat.

On the other side of the spectrum is a substance known as visceral fat that is stored in the abdomen and around internal organs. The presence of extreme visceral fat raises blood pressure and blood sugar and increases the risk of cardiac arrest. Eating foods high in fat or sugar lead to the accumulation of visceral fat as does high stress and lack of sleep. Visceral fat is extremely hard to lose and in workout and diet plans it’s usually the last to go.

What Constitutes a ‘Big Belly?’

We’d all love to have six-pack abs but just because we don’t are we considered out of shape? To understand how waist size reflects health means to understand the waist to hip ratio that determines how at risk you are. Use these steps to determine your waist to hip ratio:

  1. Relax your abdomen
  2. Measure your waist at the navel
  3. Measure your hips at the widest point
  4. Divide your waist size by hip size to get the ratio

When you’ve figured out the waist to hip ratio realize that in men the risk for adverse health effects for a big waist starts to increase after 0.95 and 0.85 in women. Some experts also are simply using your pants size as a way of evaluating your risk whereas a 37” waist and below present low opportunities, 37 to 39.9 moderate and 40+ high risk.

When Correlated with BMI

Note: I know that many people don’t like the BMI (Body Mass Index) but for the purpose of having a benchmark…I’m going to use it as a reference.  Now…moving on…

There are just some naturally big people in the world and it would be unfair to say a 6’7” 385 pound farmer was high-risk for health concerns just because his overalls were huge. Waist size is only an indicator of proper health when factored with body mass index. BMI is a number calculated from a person’s height and weight and while it doesn’t measure body fat directly is used as a screening tool to detect possible weight problems. BMI is calculated by dividing the body weight by height (in inches) squared and multiplying that number by 703. The corresponding number helps determine if an individual is underweight, normal, overweight or obese. Once again a person with a lot of muscle will tend to register at overweight despite the fact they’re an ideal picture of health so BMI can’t solely be used to reflect health either.

Being the Proper Weight Isn’t Necessarily a Free Pass

It’s important to remember that the visceral fat is the harmful substance that causes an increased risk of death in people with bigger waists. The thing is that visceral fat can also exist in thinner people’s abdomen areas and even a 160-pound guy who has a big belly could stand to increase his exercise regimen. Visceral fat releases fatty acids, hormones, and inflammatory agents that present risks to the liver, heart, and kidneys among other organs.

A good rule of thumb to remember is that it never hurts to lose a few inches around the midsection (so long as you maintain a healthy minimum weight.) By getting exercise and eating better you’ll feel energized and will in turn sleep better and hopefully have less stress – all factors that contribute to a bigger belly.

4 Things to know about Bariatric Surgery and Insurance

by 1 Comment

Bariatric surgery has become recognized as the safest and most efficient way for someone who is morbidly obese to lose weight fast. For some people, the length of time it would take to lose weight using diet and exercise alone may not help them to avoid severe medical complications due to obesity. It may also be unwise for some people to exercise until significant weight has been lost to reduce stress on the joints and heart. Affording bariatric surgery has just gotten trickier, not easier over the years. Here are 4 things you need to know about Bariatric surgery and insurance.

How much will it cost on average?

insurance benefitsWhile the three main types of procedures are all priced differently, the overall average cost of any type of bariatric surgery will be about $42,000. The surgery itself can cost from 8 to over 16 thousand dollars, but that is just for the surgery. Bariatric surgery is a term used to refer to the process of preparing for the surgery and the recovery.  As a process, this can include extensive testing, therapy in some cases, in-patient recovery, out-patient recovery and follow up procedures. Unlike many surgeries that rely on one type of specialist and a generic support team; Bariatric surgery uses a specialized Bariatric team during the entire process and the whole procedure. This is why it is one of the most expensive procedures.

Are Breast Cancer and Being Overweight Linked?

by Leave a Comment

How is being overweight and breast cancer linked?

hope ribbon breast cancerIf you follow health news then you know that research has shown a link between being overweight and an increased risk breast cancer. The link is only just beginning to be understood by scientists and it is revealing some facts that should have a very positive influence on reducing the instances of breast cancer worldwide and obesity rates. The only way to reduce the risk of breast cancer related to obesity is to lose the weight and keep it off. Losing the weight doesn’t absolutely proof your body against breast cancer, as there can be many other factors that can raise your risk as well.  However, it is a factor that you can control (for most people, that is).

Overweight and obese women — defined as having a BMI (body mass index) over 25 — have a higher risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer compared to women who maintain a healthy weight, especially after menopause. Being overweight also can increase the risk of the breast cancer coming back (recurrence) in women who have had the disease. – breastcancer.org

Being overweight is not linked to all breast cancers

To understand how weight and breast cancer are linked, it is easiest to begin with how they are not connected together. Scientists have found that the link exists in women after menopause, putting most of the women who are diagnosed with breast cancer that is connected to obesity in the 50s and above. There has been some evidence that being slightly overweight before menopause is not linked to an increased risk of breast cancer, and it may actually help to fight early breast cancer. So why does being overweight go from being something good to something bad?

Hormones, fat cells and breast cancer

Fat cells have a high level of estrogen receptor cells inside them. This means that they can store high levels of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen is needed by the body in varying degrees throughout life for reproduction. Menopause is when a woman’s body changes, the reproductive cycle shuts down and estrogen ceases to be produced in the levels that would be needed to reproduce.  Fat cells that have stored excess estrogen keep an abnormally high level in the body. Many instances of breast cancer involve something called “hormone-positive-receptors.” This means the cancer cell needs the estrogen in order to grow. The presence of the estrogen laden fat cell in the body acts as a fuel source. Since the estrogen is not being used by any other system, it is all available for the use of the cancer cells.

The most dangerous areas to be overweight

Not all areas that hold fat will produce the same breast cancer risk. If you are fatty deposits around your thighs and hips, your risk for hormone positive receptor breast cancer is not as high as if the fat is located on your abdomen. While it is still uncertain why this particular type of fat cell locates on the abdominal area, it is known that this abdominal fat cell holds much higher amounts of estrogen than fat cells that will be located in any other area of the body.

How to lose weight and lower your risk

Some women will immediately run out to purchase that latest abdominal exerciser or focus their whole routines on sit-ups and crunches but that is not going to help you lose the weight that is putting you at risk for breast cancer. There is no way to “target” weight loss to a specific area of the body. Fat is lost when the body consumes it as fuel.  For most people, it begins with fat in the extremities and then moves inward, ending with the last reserves located in the abdominal area. It is not a linear progression, but the metabolism spreads out its consumption so a little is taken from everything at a time. This is the body’s way of protecting itself from starvation. It is also why it is harder and slower to lose belly fat than fat from your arms and legs.

The best way to lose weight is to do whole body exercises and to change your eating habits. To keep weight off you have to remain physically active and adopt healthy living practices. The number one reason why so many people regain the weight they have worked so hard to lose is that they adopt a temporary fitness routine, but never change the longstanding living habits. When their fitness goals are reached, they return to the way they were living before and regain the weight. To lessen your risk of weight gain related breast cancer, change your lifestyle and change your approach to fitness.

What Is Body Mass Index and Why Should You Care?

by 1 Comment

When it comes to determining the state of your well being, sometimes it all seems to come down to numbers – your weight, blood pressure, cholesterol. All of these numbers give doctors an idea of how healthy you are. A vital number that measures your health and overall risk for disease is the BMI or body mass index. Your BMI measures your assumed body fat in relation to your height, and it is one of the most reliable ways to measure body fat since muscle mass, bone density, and the size of your frame aren’t taken into account with other simple weight measurements.  It’s not perfect…

Let me say up front that I know that the concept of BMI is debated in terms of it’s validity.  It is a formula that was created back in the 1800s and of course body image and eating habits have changed dramatically.  It also doesn’t take into account any tendencies for some women to be more curvy or social norms in communities like ours (black women) about weight and size.  Many people are shocked when their BMI  denotes that they are obese or extremely obese and they don’t feel that they fit that description.  I’m writing about it because I think you should be very aware of it since the medical profession uses it and your doctor, nutritionist or other medical professional is likely using it as a guide to determine whether you are “overweight”.  You have to make your own decisions about whether you think BMI is a valid measurement.  Many do not.  That being said, let’s talk about what BMI is.

BMI: Where You Are and Where You Should Be

All it takes is a simple math equation to determine your BMI. If the math is too daunting for you, there are also BMI calculators online that allow you to punch in your numbers and get an answer without crunching any numbers yourself. To calculate your BMI you will need to know how much you weigh (in pounds) and your height (in inches). Following is the equation you should use to calculate your BMI:

(Weight / (Height x Height) ) x 703 = BMI

Your BMI says a lot about your health. In fact, it is a better indicator of obesity than the number on the bathroom scale. Your BMI will also tell you if you’re underweight. Take a look at the following to see what your BMI says about you:

  • 18.5 and Lower – Underweight
  • 18.5 to 24.9 – Healthy Weight
  • 25 to 29.9 – Overweight
  • 30 to 39.9 – Obese
  • 40 and Over – Extreme Obesity

Why Your BMI Is a Useful Measurement

Maintaining a healthy weight involves a great deal more than hitting a “golden” number on the scale. In fact, most people inaccurately estimate what their healthy weight should be and overshoot or undershoot their ideal weight. Instead of picking a weight goal and working toward it, most doctors recommend tracking your BMI for a better look at the whole picture. Here’s why your BMI is a useful measurement:

  • Assesses Risk – Your BMI is an extremely important predictor of risk when it comes to cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, and diabetes. People who are considered overweight have an increased risk for these diseases and those with a BMI of 40 or greater have an extremely high risk for developing these conditions.
  • Predicts Disease – People with high BMIs are more at risk for developing several types of cancers, osteoarthritis, respiratory issues, infertility, gastro esophageal reflux, incontinence, type 2 diabetes, and strokes. Simply by knowing your BMI, your doctor will know what types of diseases to screen for during your routine examinations.

Special Considerations

In some cases, BMI measurements aren’t accurate. For example, someone who is a professional body builder will weigh more due to muscle mass. While their BMI might indicate they are overweight, they are anything but. Following are some exceptions to the BMI chart:

  • Competitive athletes and body builders
  • A person with high muscle mass and high bone density
  • Pregnant women
  • Children (without the aid of a growth chart)

For these groups of people, the BMI is not a good measurement of overall health. In the case of children, BMI measurements can shed some light on health and weight issues but it must be cross referenced with a growth chart in order to determine where a child falls in relation to his peers. Age must also be taken into account.

How to Lower Your BMI

If your BMI is higher than it should be, you can lower it by making positive, healthy changes in your life. The best way to lower your BMI is by eating a healthy, balanced diet and increasing your physical activity in an effort to lose weight. And it doesn’t take a great deal of weight loss to dramatically bring down your BMI. If you lose as little as 10-percent of your body weight, it can have a profound impact on your BMI. Making simple, modest changes today can greatly impact your overall health and your BMI tomorrow.