A Question Of “Waste” Line

By RAJGOPAL NIDAMBOOR

You often thought that being thin was the best element you had on your CV. You may be wrong.

If you look around and picture successful people with big waistlines, you’d possibly know the truth. Big waistlines represent good fortune and also prosperity. The longer the belt, the better your bank-balance! Besides, there was also a time when women as thin as fashion models were considered sick.

Which brings us to the big question -- what is healthy weight for you?

Being healthy and comfortable is vital for healthy weight -- note the relative use of the terms in question. This does not, of course, mean that you care two hoots for your waistline. Just the opposite, because there is enough evidence to show that being overweight puts you at greater risk for a host of health affections, some of them serious -- for instance, high blood pressure and heart disease, diabetes and gall bladder disease.

As a matter of fact, losing weight is an important part of any early treatment plan for health afflictions such as high blood pressure, diabetes etc.,

All the same, researchers today contend that having a few “supplementary” pounds in life is not as dangerous as it once seemed to be. It may, contrary to popular opinion, they say, actually protect you!

As for those of us who are not yet overweight, or obese, and over age 45, but have a few additional pounds, you would obviously need to weigh your choices cautiously before going on a diet plan.

It is our earnest attempt to review the effect of aging on your body weight in this article just as much focus on the measure of what it means to be overweight. The basic idea is, of course, formulated to enable you to make your own personal decision as to how best you’d reduce your weight without risks.

Chemistry Of Aging

Aging is a natural process. Simple -- as you get older, you age. Besides, you tend to consume fewer calories than you did when you were younger. But, the paradox is -- you seem to gain more weight. You wonder why? There are reasons for this to happen. First and foremost -- with aging, your muscle mass decreases, and your activity levels also drop down. This leads to a situation where you could make do with less energy requirements. Life also changes: you are not like the hare you were before. You don’t run to catch the 8.23 AM local train, or bus, anymore, you don’t play active sport, or even if you do, you accept defeat on the tennis court with a smile, not frown. And, you may also ask for a glass of fresh lemon juice, not biscuits.

You feel nice with what you are doing -- after having slowed down the pace of life. However, you find yourself locking horns with a knotty issue. As you age, you find it difficult to burn, or knock, those “ever-present” additional deposits of fat, or weight, around your waist or hips. This was not a problem when you were younger -- you would throw a grand party, eat with “gluttonish” appetite, if not intent, and quickly burn your “excess” fat. However, at 45+, you find it quite an uphill task to pull the “waist” of your trousers to fit around your belly!

When your reduced energy needs, due to aging, are not in step with an equivalent decline in food consumption, your body’s fat depot only increases in size. It is an ironic equation. If you knew how the average muscle mass changes with aging, you would be puzzled -- more so, when you don't stay in shape. When you reach old age, your body scan, for instance, will show a shrunken muscle mass -- which is a small fraction of its young size. This could be a major shock for you.

It all depends upon how you respond to this situation -- of decreased activity, reduced lean body mass and increased fat. One sure way of stopping aging in its tracks is getting more active. Exercise is one good way of improving your muscle mass. Exercise also helps improve your appetite. When you boost your mental and physical activity your “extra luggage” will go to the right places. The resultant benefits are just as healthy -- physical activity promotes sound sleep, it helps you feel confident about yourself, and, in the process, it reduces your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Another important point. Even if you carry a few extra pounds of fat around your waistline, which is better than being unfit and thin, you will sure live longer and healthier.

Restrict Your Calories

Research evidences that if you substantially reduce the intake of calories, you will live longer. In addition, you will remain healthier with fewer disease invasions -- including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. You will not only live life to the full, but you will also enjoy living a full life -- a life without the presence of well-entrenched and difficult-to-treat diseases.

Weight & Longevity

Your weight will sure determine your longevity. There are many researchers who believe that a reduction in human calorie consumption will significantly increase human lifespan. This does not, however, mean that you should starve to reach your ripe old age. Far from it. Just look at the data compiled by insurance companies. It will be clear that the longest lived people are those in the middle-weight categories -- not those who have been underweight and grossly overweight, who tend to have the shortest lifespan, barring some exceptions [By the way, there's no clear-cut evidence to support serious fasting as a mode of longevity as is practised in some traditional societies].

What Is Overweight?

The National Institutes of Health, US, uses a gold standard to measure and define weight. This is called the body mass index [BMI]. The body mass index is calculated by dividing your weight in kilogram by your height in metre squared. For you to being the right weight, you need to have a BMI below 25. In today’s fast-paced life and era of junk food, most people would fall into the overweight category -- this is enough reason for the surplus of diet medicines. It is, however, not those that are overweight among us who are laughing their way to better life; it is the diet pill companies that are laughing their way to the bank, instead.
But, there is a silver-lining. If you are overweight with a BMI of 26+ and don’t have high blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnoea, or chronic arthritis, you need not worry about the extra kilos around your waist. A few additional kilograms do not necessarily reduce your longevity, provided you are not a smoker; don’t have a high [“bad”]cholesterol level; or, a family history of heart disease.

It is a tough ask!

Cushioning Effect!

Research suggests that a few extra pounds might even protect you. A Swedish Hip Fracture Study found that women who gained weight during adult life had a significantly decreased risk of hip fracture. In comparison, studies have shown that women who lose weight have a substantially increased risk of hip fracture -- a life-threatening condition. It is suggested that a little bit of additional weight protects you from a hip fracture, thanks to the little extra cushioning around your hip. This cushioning effect helps absorb at least some of the shock of a fall. This is also said to prevent the much-distressing hip fracture.

Having a few extra pounds, later in life, may also improve your health and longevity. You’d rather believe it! In a study of individuals, aged 70+, researchers found that those with the best chances of survival had BMI in the range of 27-29 [men] and 25-27 [women]. This, of course, does not give you the visa to “feast” on sweets, fast-food, brownies, cheesecake, and so on.
In actuality, researchers do question the potential health of tinsel starlets and fashion models that don't put on a few pounds during their 30s. Put simply, it is always better to be discreet -- you need to keep that waistline at its optimal level. A little padding is okay, provided you lead an active life. Being overweight is, of course, a big no!

There is yet another angle to the issue -- adding a few pounds to your hips, as current research suggests, may not be as dangerous, or injurious, to your health and longevity as additional pounds added to your waistline. You gotcha the equation right -- it's desirable to bear a resemblance to a pear, not an apple. Never sport the huge beer bellies -- an avoidable element that we all often seem to bump into at the mall. A pot-belly is a significant health risk, and early “candidate” to major, major health affections, including high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, cancer etc.,

Note: The National Institutes of Health guideline of using your BMI to determine your health also recognises the importance of measuring your waistline in addition to your height and weight. A waist measurement of more than 40 inches for men is suggested to increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes; for women, a waistline of more than 35 inches is just as much a health hazard.

Lose Weight Safely

There have been reports of many deaths among people who have tried to reduce overnight -- either by way of crash dieting or dietetic mumbo-jumbo, miracle pills and so on. As for those of you who are keen on losing weight, reduce by all means, but make sure you do this safely. Talk to your doctor, or dietician, and try a few simple, safe approaches, which your friends may have used successfully, before you do anything.

The best way to lose weight is to avoid a second helping. Once you achieve this objective, you may set achievable goals for yourself:

• First, try to achieve a ten per cent weight loss. Evaluate your weight loss under the guidance of your physician.
• You need to give yourself at least six months, not a fortnight, to achieving this goal.
• If you reduce your daily food intake by 300-500 kcal a day, you can quite easily lose 2-3 kg a week
• Eat at least 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Fruits and vegetables provide you with all the vitamins, minerals, fibre and anti-oxidants you need, and with relatively few calories.
• Drink more water, and add more fibre to your diet. It’s an ideal combination to make you feel full, even though you consume fewer calories. It will reduce your risk for serious disorders.
• When your weight goal is reached at the end of six months, your body would have adapted itself to your new regimen and needs, so much so that even with your reduced intake of food, you will still be able to maintain your weight.

While you are lowering your intake of food, it is critical that you also increase your physical activity. This will not only benefit your waistline, but will also help your heart and lungs work better, improve your mood, give you a sound night's sleep, and decrease your risk of serious diseases.

Beware Of Quick-Fixes

Don’t you go by the book, or ready-to-use miracle diet, or pills. If you are serious about reducing weight, you need to speak to your doctor, not wily tricksters who blow their own trumpet with sham, bogus diets and pills. Also, remember -- the trick is not losing weight alone, but keeping it down. You also need to keep up the motivation, along with decreased food intake, and physical activity. Losing weight isn’t easy; it is difficult. The most ideal thing for you to do is to seek the counsel of a physical trainer, or therapist; or, a dietician or a health counsellor. They know what regimen or plan suits your needs best.


Last Word

According to Dean Ed Schneider, the highly respected gerontologist, and author of “AgeLess,” a wonderful “how-to” book on aging: “If you are serious about dieting, start by lowering your fat intake… If you consume the same amount of calories, there is no evidence that replacing fat with protein or carbohydrate will result in weight loss. However, lowering your fat intake will at least help prevent heart disease.”

Also, remember --

• Excessive reduced diets can be extremely dangerous, especially in the elderly age group.
• Excessive reduction in your food intake can lead to vitamin and nutrient loss and also deficiencies.
• As for those who take diet pills, researchers say that they don’t help you keep off the pounds you have lost with their use; besides, they can sometimes be extremely dangerous and fatal.

Also remember, again -- there is no reason to unduly worry about a few extra pounds around your waist.
What you need to really consider is how you want to lose your weight, because a few additional bulges may not really harm you. They may, on the contrary, protect you!