Obesity
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Waist to Hip Ratio
18. It has been argued that BMI and waist measurements are not the best ways to know if one is at an increased health risk from being overweight or underweight. Some doctors, therefore, believe that a person’s waist to hip ratio (WHR) is a better way to evaluate his or her health status. WHR looks at the proportion of fat stored in the body around the waist and hips. They say that the best way to determine the risk of obesity-related diseases is a measurement that divides the circumference of the waist by that of the hips. For women, the WHR should be less than 0.85. Men have a little more wiggle room – a healthy WHR for them is 0.90. The waist to hip ratio greater than 1 for both males and females is a risk for cardiovascular disease.
Height and Weight Charts
19. Some organisations have prepared height and weight charts giving ranges of weight for particular heights to determine obesity levels. A Height and Weight Chart prepared by the British Heart Foundation and a Body Mass Index Chart are reproduced in Appendix I. For example, a person with a height of 5’-8” and weight below 54 kg. is regarded as underweight, between 54 to 72 kg. as healthy (normal), between 72 to 86 kg. as overweight, between 86 to 118 kg. as obese and above 118 kg. as morbidly (severely) obese.
Other Indicators
20 In simple terms, obesity is the state of the body wherein the weight of the body is higher by 10% as compared to the ideal or desirable weight. If the weight is higher by 20%, it is a state of morbid (severe) obesity. Also if a person gets breathless, even at the slightest exertion, he should generally take it as an indication of excess weight. A fat person is less efficient as he or she consumes more energy while performing any activity. Our naturo-food therapists, Goindis have even more simple and easy way to stay healthy – their abdomen should not protrude more than their chest if they want to stay healthy and free of obesity.
GLOBESITY – SOME FACTS AND FIGURES
Globesity = Global Obesity
21. It is a world which tips the scales on the unhealthy side of weight. And with over 1.1 billion persons across the globe suffering from obesity, the weight of the facts is too alarming to ignore. So much so, “globesity” – a term coined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to represent the pandemic of obesity – is being used with increasing frequency. WHO says that globesity is taking over many parts of the world (both developed and developing countries) and people with bulging bellies can be time bombs for diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and other diseases for adults as well as children.
