If you are trying to be as healthy as possible, you probably already know what you weigh.
You might even know your body mass index (BMI). However, do you know what really matters when it comes to understanding your health?
It all comes down to body composition. If your body is comprised of too much fat and not enough muscle, you are bound to have health problems. In fact, you don’t have to be obese to have fat cause health problems.
Did you know that you could be skinny and still considered fat?
It makes sense that most people who are overweight are also carrying too much fat, but few people realise that you can carry too little muscle and too much fat even at a normal weight, even if you look pretty slim.
In essence, fat and flabbiness are your real enemy, not just how much you weigh.
Even though there has been plenty of research to back up this idea, a more recent study found that individuals with a high amount of body fat were more likely to die within a few years, regardless of their weight and BMI. The study took place in Canada and examined more than 50,000 people, although the majority of participants were women over the age of 40.
What else do you need to know in order to stay as healthy as possible? Here are a few tips.
- Do not completely forsake your BMI. Knowing your BMI is a good starting point, but it is not the only thing you need to consider. Always talk to your doctor about what your BMI means for you.
- The location of your fat is important. If you carry most of your fat around your waist, it is a serious issue. Waist circumference correlates to body fat, and the wider your waist, the higher your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other problems. For men, the waist should be less than 40 inches, women’s waists should measure no more than 35 inches.
- There are not any fat-burning secrets or miracles. If you have too much fat, you have got to get rid of it. The only really effective way of doing this is through diet and exercise. Just remember that when you work out, you will also burn muscle as well as fat, so be sure to incorporate weight training to keep your muscles strong.
Stop focusing so much on what the scale in your bathroom says and pay more attention to how much fat you actually have – and where you carry it.
