SolveYourProblem Article Series: Heart Health
I Want A Healthy Heart!

Your Weight & Heart Disease Risk

In modern society, there tends to be a lot of emphasis on how much you weight. People are often trying to lose weight to look better by society’s standards. They also want to feel more energetic and healthier.

If you’re concerned about your heart, you may be particularly careful to pay attention to your weight. But the truth of the matter is not all weight is created equal. What matters more than the actual number on the scale is the ratio of your waist to your hips.

According to the American Heart Association, men who have a waistline above 40” and women who have a waist above 35” are at an increased risk for heart disease. In fact, people who have a higher waist to hip ratio are more likely to have heart problems than people who are overweight and obese with lower ratios.

The fat that accumulates in the body, called visceral fat, is the culprit for this increased risk. This is the fat that lies beneath the muscle and around your organs. It puts more strain on the heart than other types of fat.

It can cause high blood pressure, high levels of blood sugar, and high cholesterol. All of these risk factors added together greatly increase the risk of heart disease for an individual.

The good news is that even if you only lose a small amount of weight around your waist, you may have huge decreases in your risk of heart disease. And one of the best ways to target the midsection is through practicing exercises like yoga.

You don’t have to spend hours and hours at the gym everyday, either. It’s possible to improve your health and achieve the results you want in just 20-40 minutes of exercise each day.

You can also decrease your waistline by eating more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. It’s best to cut out foods that are high in saturated or trans fat or high in sugar.

Improving your diet will not only help to trim your waistline, but it will also help to lower your cholesterol, blood glucose, and even your blood pressure. All that adds up to heart health.

Changing your waistline isn’t just about fitting into a new dress size or pant size. In fact, this type of change is about keeping your heart healthy so that you can live a long, high quality life.

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