Today, a lot of significance is given to how much a person weighs. We go on a diet to improve our appearance according to what people think we should look like. Improved health and energy are other reasons we want to lose weight.

If you’re concerned about your heart health, you may be particularly careful to pay attention to your weight. But the truth of the matter is not all weight is created equal. What matters more than the actual number on the scale is the ratio of your waist to your hips.

The American Heart Association warns us that a man with a larger than 40 inch waistline and women with a waist line larger than 35 inches are taking their chances on developing heart disease. If your waist to hip ratio is high, you’re at greater risk for heart disease than an overweight person with smaller proportions.

There is fat that gathers in your body that is called visceral fat. This is what causes the higher probability of developing heart problems. This fat is underneath your muscle and congregating around your internal organs. This type of fat is more stressful to the heart than any other kind.

Some of the problems it causes are high cholesterol, elevated blood sugar, and hypertension. When you combine these problems, the probability of heart problems increases.

The good news is that even if you only lose a small amount of weight around your waist, you may have huge decreases in your risk of heart disease. And one of the best ways to target the midsection is through practicing exercises like yoga.

It’s not at all necessary to spend your life at the gym, either. A session of exercise lasting anywhere from twenty to forty minutes each day will leave you healthier and slimmer in no time.

You can also handle your weight problem by changing your diet to include lots of fruits, vegetables, lean meat and whole grains. Eliminate food products that contain high levels of fats, particularly saturated or trans, as well as sugar.

A healthier diet helps you to lose excess fat, and it also regulates your blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as lowering your cholesterol. Together, this addresses your worries about heart disease and is the path to a healthier heart.

Losing the extra weight you are carrying around your middle can help you to fit into that new outfit, but more importantly it helps you to stay healthy and have a long life.

Lowering the Risk Factors

Diabetes is a dangerous health problem. In adults, diabetes is often a result of long-term nutritional neglect and abuse.

Most of us don’t eat breakfast. Our fuel supply is very low, and we wind up running on fumes. We grab a high-calorie muffin or a candy bar later in the morning when we’re really, really hungry. What we don’t know is that this snack causes insulin to dump out of the pancreas into the bloodstream, as the body attempts to process the surge in blood glucose from the snack we just ate.

This pattern is repeated throughout the day. A graph of the average person’s blood sugar levels would show sharp spikes – both highs and lows – in every 24-hour period. Eventually, the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas get tired and wear out. The result is consistently high levels of blood glucose which is called diabetes.

Diabetes can cause severe eye problems, severe kidney problems, and severe circulatory problems. It is associated with obesity, heart disease, and increased mortality. Not good.

An obvious preventive strategy would be to ensure that blood glucose levels are steady throughout the day. Actually, this is easy to do. All that’s required is to develop healthy eating habits and regular exercise.

Eat breakfast – a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese mixed with a 6-ounce cup of yogurt is all you need in the morning.

Do food combining at every meal – always eat a combination of protein and carbohydrate

No between-meal snacks

Regular exercise that is challenging and fun – build-up gradually and be consistent

We’re in the middle of several deadly epidemics in the United States. Obesity, diabetes, and heart disease are affecting more and more people every year. Recent statistics show that two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Thirty percent of American children are obese. Approximately 21 million Americans have diabetes. One child out of every 500 has type I diabetes. In America, 72 million adults have high blood pressure. These are shocking statistics, considering that U.S. health care expenditures totaled $2 trillion in 2006. That’s 2 TRILLION dollars.

As Americans, we’re getting less healthy by the day. The good news is there are many things we can do about these trends. There is real action that every American, young and old, can take to support and protect their health and well-being. These action steps all focus on lifestyle – the choices we make each and every day.

The first step is an honest self-assessment. When was the last time I exercised? Does my clothes size increase every couple of years? How many times during the week do I eat fast food? When was the last time I ate an apple instead of half a box of cookies?

Regardless of the answers, it is possible to become healthy and fit again, whatever your current circumstances. You CAN lose 10 or 20 or 30 or however many pounds. You CAN climb stairs without getting out of breath. You CAN regain the youthful glow of vitality. You CAN be vigorous and proud of your body, rather than worrying about what’s going to be the next thing to break down.

Healthy eating and regular exercise are essential parts of the solution to combating obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.1,2 These practices have the magical effect of resetting your metabolic clock – your body shifts from a pattern of storing fat to a pattern of burning fat.3 Over time, with a nutritious food plan and consistent exercise, you even burn fat while you’re resting! Your body is very smart. You just have to treat it right.

Your chiropractor is a wonderful asset – both as a health care practitioner and as a guide – on your journey toward fitness and wellness. Your chiropractor has extensive resources available on practical nutrition and how to design a supportive food plan. He or she has deep knowledge regarding the types of exercises and activities that will be right for you. You and your chiropractor can design an exercise program that will be both fun and rewarding. Working together, you’ll be maximizing your health and vitality. You will begin to fulfill a way of living that will support you in being healthy and well for years to come.

1Lindstrom J, et al: Sustained reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes by lifestyle intervention: follow-up of the Finnish Diabetes Prevention Study. Lancet 368(9548):1673-1679, 2006. 2Orchard TJ, et al: The effect of metformin and intensive lifestyle intervention on the metabolic syndrome: the Diabetes Prevention Program randomized trial. Ann Intern Med 142(8):611-619, 2005 3Yannakoulia M, et al: A dietary pattern characterized by high consumption of whole-grain cereals and low-fat dairy products and low consumption of refined cereals is positively associated with plasma adiponectin levels in healthy women. Metabolism 57(6):824-830, 2008