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Big belly 'as bad as being obese' for the heart
Reported December 08, 2009
Having a waistline that falls into the overweight or obese category can
increase the risk of dying of heart disease four-fold, according to the
research.
Fat carried around the middle of the body - giving people an apple shape
instead of a pear - is different to fat on the hips and bottom and is more
dangerous to health.
A person's waist circumference is therefore defined as the measurement
around their middle, rather than their trouser size, as most people wear
their trousers around their hips.
According to the researchers, a waist circumference of more than 40 inches
for men and 34.6 inches for women classed as overweight. A healthy waist
circumference for men is defined as less than 37 inches and for women less
than 31.4 inches.
The study examined the increased heart disease risks for people based on
their waistline girth and their body mass index (BMI). BMI is calculated by
dividing a person's weight, measured in kilos, by their height, in metres.
It has been criticised as some athletes with lots of muscle but little fat
would be classed as obese using BMI.
The study showed that patients with obese levels of BMI were four times more
likely to die of heart disease than those of normal weight, while a
waistline that fell into the obese category increased the risk three-fold.
Earlier studies had suggested that obesity roughly doubled the chances of
dying from heart disease.
Extrapolated to the general population, it would mean one third of all fatal
cardiovascular disease cases and one in seven of non-fatal cases can be
ascribed to being overweight and obesity, the researchers said.
The study, published in the European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention
and Rehabilitation, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology,
involved 20,000 Dutch men and women aged between 20 and 65 who were measured
by health professionals and followed-up for ten years.
Almost one in four adults in England are classified as obese and by 2050
only one in ten people is predicted to be a healthy weight. It means the
impact of obesity will be even greater in the future, the researchers said.
A body mass index of 30 or more classifies as obese, with a healthy BMI of
between 18.5 and 24.9.
Principal investigator Ineke van Dis from the Netherlands Heart Foundation
said: " What this study shows is the substantial effect which overweight and
obesity have on cardiovascular disease, whether fatal or non-fatal. In the
near future the impact of obesity on the burden of heart disease will be
even greater.
"These findings underline the need for policies and activities to prevent
overweight in the general population. And I think that general practitioners
and cardiologists can do even more to tackle these problems, especially in
obese patients under 65 years, as highlighted in this study."
Fotini Rozakeas, cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said:
"This study shows that in people between the ages of 20 and 65 years old,
body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) measurements are powerful
predictors of the risk of having cardiovascular disease.
“With the incidence of being overweight or obese in the UK predicted to
almost double by 2015, measuring BMI and WC in general health checks is an
inexpensive, simple measure to assess health risk and can reduce the burden
of developing and living with debilitating conditions.
“Whilst people can follow healthy diets and take regular exercise,
policy-makers must support them by shaping the environment to make healthy
choices easier. One opportunity is to make food labels clear and consistent
to help shoppers consider healthier options”.
Source : Telegraph Media Group Limited |
