Now that America’s most passionate day of food consumption has passed, it is time to get smart about food choices and how it affects our body.
“Apple shape” is a popular term used for truncal obesity – fat that has accumulated around one’s middle. It is defined as a body-mass index (BMI) 30 and above, and a waist-to-hip ratio of greater than or equal to 0.88. Normally, obese people put on weight relatively evenly through their entire body. Sufferers of truncal obesity put on larger than normal amounts of fat around their midsection, often making them seem disproportionately overweight compared to others with the same BMI.
Having any excess body fat above a standard range is unhealthy. The more overweight, the greater the risk for onset of chronic and serious illnesses. Unfortunately, suffering from truncal obesity as opposed to ‘normal’ obesity only makes the problem worse. This is because the fat is concentrated around the belly and digestive systems, as opposed to hanging off the legs, hips, and buttocks.
Truncal obesity is associated with atherosclerotic heart disease and an increased risk of acute myocardial infarction, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and increased blood pressure in the kidneys with an increased risk of kidney disease over time. It also weakens the immune system, decreases sexual performance, can trigger bouts of depression and other mental disorders, and is universally acknowledged as reducing the quality of one’s life.
The obvious solution to treatment of truncal obesity is to lose weight, either by reducing your caloric intake of food or by increasing the expenditure of calories through exercise. A combination of both is strongly preferred by health professionals and will provide quicker, longer lasting results. Despite many infomercials and diet plan claims, you cannot ‘spot-target’ fat reduction. Try adding an exercise regimen that involves gradually increasing amounts of cardiovascular exercise. Using a diary to chart foods consumed and exercises performed is very helpful in charting your progress. Bottom line, in order to lose weight, calories consumed must be less than calories burned!
Start now and working toward your weight loss goals will be in full-swing by New Years.