Proactive Health #1 - Waist measurements and your chronic disease risk

by Naomi (follow)

Self Help & Improvement (68)      Health & Wellbeing (2)     

Measuring your waist is a quick, simple and powerful tool that you can do at home to help understand your chronic disease risk.

How does it determine your health risk?
Your waist measurement indicates the level of fat deposits around your heart, kidneys, liver, digestive organs and pancreas. These deposits can increase the risk of chronic diseases

Generally, in adults the larger your waist circumference, the higher your risk of developing chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some cancers.

These measurements do not apply to children, pregnant women or people from certain ethnicities, who naturally have different body shapes. If you are an Indigenous Australian, Pacific or South Sea Islander or Asian it is recommended you talk to your doctor for more information.



What measurements determine risk?
Based on World Health Organization and National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations, waist measurements greater than:
indicates a higher level of fat deposits and increased risk of chronic disease.  



To measure your waist circumference:

What to do next
Measuring your waist is an important proactive step for your wellbeing. In addition, set aside some time to do a health self assessment including your daily exercise routine, mental health, eating, drinking and sleep patterns.



If your waist measurement is higher than recommended, talk to your doctor about your individual risk, your health self assessment and what you can do to be proactive about your health.

Related
Introducing the Proactive Health series
Do you have prediabetes

Categories
#Health & wellbeing
#Self help & improvement]

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