Belly Fat? You'll Die Younger

I have one.  A large waist that is.  And now researchers are saying it's linked to poor health, even for people with good body mass indexes (BMIs), which I don't have, either.

 In the study, men and women with large waist circumferences were more likely to die younger, and were more likely to die from illnesses such as heart disease, respiratory problems, and cancer after accounting for body mass index, smoking, alcohol use and physical activity, according to newswise.com. 

 That means people like me (who are apple-shaped) don't fare as well as those who are pear-shaped. Bummer.

 Even though I exercise my buns off, apparently that old waist will get me in the end.  It's not like I'm a plus-size but my stomach and waist have always been my weak point.  (Now that I've lost 20 pounds I can't find jeans to fit me, because, to be big enough for my waist, they slide off my hips.)

 Men with waists 43 inches or greater in circumference had a 50 percent higher mortality risk than men with waists less than 35 inches, and this translated to about a three-year lower life expectancy after age 40, the Web site reports. Women with a waist circumference of 37 inches or greater had about an 80 percent higher mortality risk than women with a waist circumference of 27 inches or less, and this translated to about a five-year lower life expectancy after age 40.

 And for every 2 inches of greater circumference, mortality risk went up about 7 percent in men and about 9 percent in women. 

 Apparently where that weight is located means everything.  "Eextra fat in your belly has a metabolic profile that is associated with diseases such as diabetes and heart disease," James Cerhan, M.D., Ph.D., a Mayo Clinic epidemiologist and lead author of the study, says at newswise.com.


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