Waist Girth a Predictor of Type 2 Diabetes
"Diabetes is one of the fastest growing health problems in America and the world. It is also one of the most costly. A new study by Harvard University appearing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition shows that the best predictor of diabetes 2 (type 2 diabetes) is a simple waist girth measurement.
"The risk for diabetes increases directly with an increase in waist girth. The bigger the waist girth, the higher the diabetes risk. A waist girth of 40 or more inches increases the risk of diabetes by 10 times! Waist girth is the best measure of abdominal fat, which seems to be a culprit in increasing diabetes risk.
"This study included 27,270 healthy men who were followed for 13 years to see who would develop diabetes. Researcher's found that when the men's waist girth was more than 37 inches (95 cm) their risk for diabetes was very high. It was 5 to 10 times higher than in men with a waist girth of 35 inches or less. In the 13-year study, 80% of the men who developed diabetes had a waist girth greater than 37 inches. Researchers recommend that doctors and health counselors use this simple test to determine who is at greatest risk of developing diabetes.
"Men, if you want to maintain a low risk for diabetes, keep your waist measurement less than 37 inches. For even a lower risk, a waist girth of 35 inches or less is ideal. A waist girth of 40 inches or more indicates a very high risk for type 2 diabetes.
"Women, other studies have indicated a similar value for waist girth in predicting risk of diabetes. Women with the lowest risk of diabetes have a waist girth less than 32 inches. A waist of 32-34 indicates an increased risk, and a waist measuring 35 inches or more indicates high risk for type 2 diabetes. Reference: Wang Y et al. Comparison of abdominal adiposity and overall obesity in predicting risk of type 2 diabetes among men. AJCN. 2005;81:555-63. (Taken form Making Healthy Choices Newsletter - April 25, 2005)
