Large Waist Circumference Increases Risk of Death

In case you need another reason to get to work on your waistline... a large waist circumference increases your risk of dying from any cause according to new research out of the American Cancer Society that included more than 48,500 men and 56,343 women over the age of 50.

The subjects completed mailed questionnaires about demographic, medical issues and behavior and were required to measure their own waistlines. During the nine-year study 9,315 men and 5,332 women died.

The researchers found that even after adjusting for BMI and other risk factors, a very large waist (47 inches for men; 42 inches for women) made the subjects about twice as likely to die compared to those with a normal waistline (35.4 inches for men; 29.5 inches for women).

Death didn't just come from weight related problems; there was also an increased risk of dying from cancer, respiratory failure and other causes.

It doesn't seem to matter what your BMI, normal weights are no safer than obese or overweight subjects if that waistline is growing. Surprisingly, among female subjects, the association between waist size and death risk was strongest for those who had a normal BMI.

Study researchers warn that you need to watch your waist as well as your weight. If you're moving to a bigger pant size, that's a warning from your body. It's time to cut the calories and get more exercise - basic approaches that really do work. What's more, small changes can have a big effect, with even a modest inch or two reduction in your waist measurement having a very beneficial impact on your health

Not surprisingly, more than half of men, and 70% of women in the U.S. are over the waist circumference thresholds experts have established. In fact, our average waistlines have grown by about an inch every decade since the 1960s. Chances are, if you're over 50 years old, your waistline measurement has crept up, most likely because your body is naturally changing shape.

Earlier research has found that larger waistlines are linked to higher circulating levels of inflammatory markers, as well as insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, increases in cholesterol numbers and heart disease. Fat in and around the abdomen is thought to be more dangerous than fat stored on the thighs and hips.

However, the researchers point out that the clinical guidelines doctors use today that have been supplied by the National Institutes of Health are based on research from the 1990s. These guidelines suggest that waist size be used to identify those at increased risk for disease only if the patient is obese or overweight. According to the NIH guidelines, someone with abdominal obesity who is normal or overweight isn't being encouraged to lose weight unless they have two or more cardiovascular risk factors or come in with an express desire to lose weight.

Unfortunately, this latest research doesn't tell us exactly how much belly fat is dangerous for those with different BMIs, but it does make a strong case for considering more than the number on the scale when thinking about your health and longevity. And for doing whatever you cant to keep a handle on that large waist circumference.

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