Over the last 50 years or so weve become obsessed by how much we - TopicsExpress

Over the last 50 years or so weve become obsessed by how much we weigh. And to a certain extent thats useful, weight can be an indicator of health and we all know when were at a weight that makes us feel fit, healthy and good about ourselves. But what about the bigger picture? Isnt there more too it than just how much we weigh? Well, yes there is. It matters how much of that weight is body fat and where we store it. Lets see why with an example (using completely imaginary people of course). Person one, well call him Ant, weighs 82kg. His body fat percentage is 24% and he has a waist circumference of 38 inches. Person 2, well call him Dec, also weighs 82kg. He however has a body fat percentage of 14% and a waist circumference of 33 inches. Whilst they both weigh the same, to look at them its clear that Dec looks healthier. Ant carries more body fat and more of it sits around his middle. This is known as visceral fat and it means hes at greater risk of health conditions like diabetes amongst many others. It also means of course that hes less happy with his body shape and hes got a beach holiday he wants to look good for early next year. To know this information he needs to measure his body fat percentage and his waist circumference. The latter is fairly simple, you just need a tape measure. Body fat requires special scales or a set of callipers, if youve never seen them they look like a big pair of tweezers. At balance I make sure my clients get all of these measurements and many more. I do this so that: - we can track their progress and see if what were doing is working or needs changing. - we can use it as a motivational tool and to set agreed goals. - to show the bigger picture. I wonder how many people over the years have taken up exercise and because the scales tell them their weight hasnt changed they gave up thinking it wasnt working. For a truly balanced approach, its time to focus on whats on the inside as well as what we weigh. Look out for my post on blood pressure, glucose levels and other blood tests in the next few days to find out even more.