More Evidence Marriage May Be Bad For Your Waistline

A man puts an engagement ring on a woman's finger during a photo opportunity at a jewellery store in Tokyo June 2, 2009.

REUTERS/YURIKO NAKAO

(Reuters Health) - Need another reason to blame weight gain on your marriage? When one spouse becomes obese, the other’s risk of obesity almost doubles, a U.S. study suggests.

“Normal weight people whose spouses went from being normal weight to obese were more likely to become obese,” said Laura Cobb, who led the study as a researcher at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.

“This suggests that changes in one spouse are likely to also be reflected in the other spouse, likely because of similar changes in diet, physical activity or other behaviors that impact obesity,” Cobb said by email.

Plenty of research already links marriage and weight gain, and scientists have firmly established the connection between obesity and heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.

What the current study adds is a fresh take on how couples may gain weight in tandem, insight that might help shape more effective obesity prevention and treatment efforts targeting couples, Cobb and colleagues note in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Researchers followed almost 4,000 couples for up to 25 years, starting between 1987 and 1989. After an initial exam, they had three follow-up visits roughly three years apart, followed by a fifth exam between 2011 and 2013.

At the start of the study, 23 percent of the men and 25 percent of the women were obese.

Non-obese men whose wives became obese between visits in the study were 78 percent more likely to become obese during that period than they would have been had their wives not gained so much weight, the study found.

Having a husband become obese was linked to an 89 percent increased risk of developing obesity for their wives.

Not many people who started out obese lost enough weight to be considered no longer obese, but when they did, their spouse was also more likely to become non-obese.

Shortcomings of the study include the long stretch of time that elapsed between the fourth and fifth exams and the large proportion of people who died or left the study before the final visit, the authors acknowledge.

It’s not unusual for married couples to forge common habits over time that influence their weight, said Ivanka Prichard, a weight loss researcher at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia.

“Over time, similarities in diet, particularly any unhealthy aspects, may lead to weight changes,” Prichard, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. “There are also a range of pressures in life that could impact this such as having children, work, shared health knowledge, time or finances.”

Like unhealthy habits, though, positive lifestyle choices can also be contagious in a marriage, said Debra Umberson, director of the Population Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin.

“When married people get in shape or lose weight, it’s often because one spouse takes the lead and urges the other spouse along,” Umberson, who wasn’t involved in the study, said by email. “Even if the person not taking the lead is resistant, over time they will probably be influenced by the kinds of food and activities their spouse is involved with – especially if the person taking the lead is the one who purchases groceries or prepares meals.”

Source:- http://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-marriage-waistline-idUSKCN0SD2HG20151019

Forget The Fancy Gadgets And Health Apps:

 For a long life, your waistline should be half your height

• Scientists at City University London say waistline should be half your height
• New report shows people adding inches on the waists could die early    
• A 30-year-old man standing at 5ft 10in with a 56in waist could lose 20.2 years
• Dr Margaret Ashwell says simple test should be a new global health check

The key to living longer is having a waist measurement no bigger than half your height, according to research.

Scientists have devised a simple formula which predicts how many years of life someone will lose to obesity.

And they claim the rule applies regardless of age, gender or ethnicity.

Scientists at City University have found the key to a long life is having a waist no bigger than half your height

It is worked out by measuring around the waist – technically between the lowest rib and hip bone – making sure you do not breathe in.

As long as this is half your height or less, you should live to the average life expectancy – which is currently around 81. But for every few inches over, you face losing months or even years of life.

For example, an average 30-year-old man who is 5ft 10in tall – or 70 inches – should have a waist size no bigger than 35 inches. A 30-year-old 5ft 4in woman should have a waist size of 32 inches or under.

But if the man’s waist size expands to 42 inches – or 60 per cent of his height – it will knock 1.7 years off his life, according to the formula. Likewise if the woman’s waist grows to 38.4 inches she will lose 1.4 years.

This may not sound much but it quickly adds up if someone is severely obese.

A 30-year-old man of 5ft 10in with a 56-inch waist can expect to lose 20.2 years from his life expectancy. Similarly a woman with a 51-inch waist will die 10.6 years earlier.

Scientists have devised a simple formula which predicts how many years of life someone will lose to obesity

The researchers at Cass Business School at City University, London, came up with the calculation after looking at records of more than 300,000 adults spanning 20 years. Dr Margaret Ashwell told the Sunday Times it should be used as a simple health check that anyone can do at home.

She added that waist circumference is important because it shows the amount of central fat in the body – which is linked to high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. She also believes the waist-to-height ratio is a far more reliable predictor of ill health and obesity than the Body Mass Index (BMI) – which is widely used by doctors.

‘People are living in false hope if they rely on their BMI figure. We have got to measure the right thing,’ she said.

Watch the video here:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2746694/Forget-fancy-gadgets-health-apps-For-long-life-waistline-half-height.html

The BMI compares a person’s weight to their height, and puts around 60 per cent of Britons in the obese or overweight category. But Dr Ashwell added that if the Government were to use waist measurement instead, this would go up to around 69 per cent.

Professor Les Mayhew, who was also involved in the study to be published by the Public Library of Science, said: ‘There is now overwhelming evidence that government policy should place greater emphasis on waist-to-height ratio as a screening tool.’

However Dr Rachel Pryke, clinical spokesman on nutrition at the Royal College of GPs, said it was unclear whether ‘worrying people about their weight actually motivates them to make a long-term commitment to lifestyle changes’.

Source:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2746694/Forget-fancy-gadgets-health-apps-For-long-life-waistline-half-height.html

How To Trim Your Waistline And Lift Your Buttocks With Exercises

(Photo: Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images )

IF YOU LONG FOR AN HOURGLASS FIGURE, EXERCISE CAN TAKE YOU A

LONG WAY TOWARD YOUR GOAL. BY TARGETING YOUR ABDOMINAL

REGION, YOU CAN TONE YOUR ABS AND DEFINE YOUR WAISTLINE WITH

BUTTOCK-BLASTING MOVES, YOU CAN LIFT UP YOUR REAR BY BUILDING

MUSCLES. HOWEVER, YOU'LL NEED TO DO MORE THAN SPOT-FOCUSED

STRENGTH TRAINING TO TRIM YOUR PHYSIQUE.  GETTING TONED ALSO

TAKES CARDIO EXERCISE AS WELL AS A HEALTHY EATING PLAN. FOR

THE BEST RESULTS, REPLACE HIGH-CALORIE FOODS IN YOUR DIET WITH

FRUITS, VEGETABLES AND OTHER FOODS WITH LOW-CALORIE CONTENT.

Aerobic Interval Training

To torch away the fat in your midsection and reveal a trim waist, start aerobic interval training. To do this, alternate short spurts of intense cardio with lighter exercise. For example, you might jog for 3 minutes, walk for 3 minutes, and continue the pattern for 30 minutes total. Your intensity will depend on your fitness level, but intervals can help everyone burn calories more quickly. As a bonus, interval training keeps you on your toes and combats boredom.

Abdominal Exercises

Strength training that targets your abs won't remove fat, but it will tone your stomach. A University of San Diego study of abdominal exercises in 2001 found that the best stomach toner is a move called the "bicycle maneuver." To start, lie on your back, elbows bent, with one hand on each side of your head. Lift your knees to a 45-degree angle and slowly move your legs as though you are riding a bike. Bring your right elbow to your left knee and then switch, continuing until you are tired. The study also found that exercise-ball crunches are great for working your abs.

Squats to Lift Your Rear

To give your buttocks a lift, you'll need to work the gluteal muscles, or "glutes." Squats are a great way to do this, and they don't require any equipment. Stand up with your feet spread a bit wider than your hips. With your chest up, shift your body weight to your heels and push back with your hips. Lower your body, bending your knees and hips simultaneously. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground. Slowly move back up by pushing down on your feet, and repeat. Watch your breathing; you should inhale on the way down and exhale on the way up.

The Dangers of Abdominal Fat

When you trim your waist, you are doing more than just improving your looks. You may actually be saving yourself from some potentially serious illnesses. Your abdominal region has visceral fat, which your body stores in between your organs. Having too much of this type of fat puts you at greater risk for diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Visceral fat is also linked to gallbladder problems and breast cancer in women. Fortunately, visceral fat is relatively easy to lose with diet and exercise.

source:- http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/trim-waistline-lift-buttocks-exercises-3132.html

The Waist-Cinching Workout for Toned Abs and Obliques

Define your waistline with this strengthening routine that gives your obliques some love

JEN WEAVER

Give your workout routine a new twist—literally. These six moves hit all of your major muscle groups with extra emphasis on your obliques to whittle your middle. Move from one exercise to the next without resting, then repeat this four-minute circuit three times with a 1-minute break in between sets. In less than 15 minutes, you’ll be on your way to defining your waist. All you’ll need: a 6- to 10-pound medicine ball or dumbbell.

—Amy Roberts, NASM-CPT

MOVE 1Criss-Cross Jacks

JEN WEAVER

Get your heart rate pumping with this variation to the standard jumping jack. Jump out to widen your feet and send your arms into a T position (A), then jump in, crossing your legs and your arms (B). Repeat, alternating the cross of your hands and feet. Do 20 reps.

MOVE 2Squat To Twisting Overhead Press

JEN WEAVER

Hold a medicine ball or dumbbell goblet-style in front of your chest (A). Sit back into your squat (weight in your heels, sending your butt back) (B). As you stand, press your arms straight up while twisting your torso so you’re turned to one side (C). Squat again, straightening out your upper body on the way down; on the way up, press and twist to the opposite side. That’s one rep. Do 8-10 reps.

MOVE 3Plank Curl-Unders

JEN WEAVER

Set yourself in a plank position, placing a dumbbell in line with the heel of your left palm. Shift your weight into your left hand and reach for the weight with your right hand (A). Pick up the weight and pivot up into a side plank, raising the weight toward the ceiling with your arms in a T position (B). Rotate your arm back down so your right hand curls under your left forearm (C). Do 8-10 reps then switch sides. (Plank too tough? Try it on your hands and knees.)

MOVE 4High-Knee Corkscrews

JEN WEAVER

Standing up straight, raise one knee and bend the opposite elbow (A), twisting at your midsection to bring the two joints to tap. Repeat to the opposite side (B). Do 20 reps.

MOVE 5Reverse Lunge with Side Twist

JEN WEAVER

Stand with your feet parallel, holding a medicine ball or dumbbell in front of your stomach (A). Step one foot backward into a lunge (B), and turn your torso so the weight crosses your front leg (C). Step forward to start position. Alternate sides for 8-10 reps. (Make it harder by doing all reps on one side then switching.)

MOVE 6Twisted Box Pushups

JEN WEAVER

Stand with your feet together, in line with a box and a few feet away from it. Place your hands against the box, then turn your torso so you’re resting on the outside of one foot with your legs stacked (A). From this position, do 8-10 pushups (B). Repeat on the other side. (You can make this move easier by doing the pushups against a wall.)

Source:- http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/abdominal-exercises