What Does Your Waistline Say About Your Health?

Waistline Size Can Put You at Higher Risk For Disease

It has been a topic of discussion for health and fitness professionals for years; the size of someone’s waist can put them at higher risk for disease. This fact was recently confirmed in a study performed by the Mayo Clinic.

Large Waistline Circumference… Higher Risk of Dying

The study states that those individuals with a large waistline circumference were at a higher risk of dying at a younger age from illnesses such as heart disease, respiratory problems and cancer.

Women with a waistline circumference greater than 89cm and men with a waist circumference greater than 101cm are at a higher risk for developing health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol.

What To Do if You Have One

What should you do if you have a large waist circumference? Get active, and improve your nutrition! Putting those two components together will have an big impact on your waistline.

Dr. Cerhan, a Mayo Clinic epidemiologist and lead author of the study says “For those patients who have a large waistline, trimming down even a few inches through exercise and diet could have important health benefits.”

What is our role as a personal trainer? To begin, educate those around us about the risks involved with large waistline circumferences. Measure the waistline’s of those we know, and explain to them where they stand in relation to their health. Next, give them fitness and nutrition options to help them on their way and improve their health. It is amazing how empowered people feel once they have been educated about something so important.