Are You Really Fat?

We all have times when we feel fat. But don’t be fooled into thinking that all body fat is bad. It is only in excess that it is bad. We should not be slaves to the extreme fashion for thinners. The body needs essential fat to cushion internal organs, provide warmth and allow us to store energy for later use. It is important to be as healthy as possible in order to maintain the quality and length of our lives.

Are you really fat? The body mass index (BMI) is one commonly used way of assessing whether a person holds too much body fat in relation to their height and shape. The waist-to-hips ratio rating is another. Here’s some guide on how to calculate your waist-to-hips ratio rating from Chrissie Gallagher-Munday, author of the book “Fat-burner Workout” (Bounty Books, 2003).

• Take a tape measure and measure your waist. Your waistline runs approximately around where your navel is. Pull the tape so that it fits snugly around your bare skin, but don’t distort the skin by pulling too tight. Note the reading.

• To measure your hips, bend your knees slightly. Now wrap the tape measure just around where the tops of the thighs meet the hips, i.e where you bend naturally. Pull the tape so that it sits snugly and note the measurement.

• To calculate the rating, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. For example, if your waist measures 69 cm (27 in) and your hips 91 cm (36 in), then 69 divided by 91 =0.75.

In men, the score should be 0.95 or less. In women, an acceptable score is 0.85 or less. If your score is above these levels, don’t panic, but instead use it as your driving target to start your fat-burning regime. Being too fat does carry risks and it is worth being aware of them and making the changes so that you can reduce any danger to your long-term health