Waistline Woes 
From all the commercials for waist slimming devices, one could conclude that lots of people are interested in losing inches from their waistlines. It’s true, and it represents a significant health as well as a cosmetic threat. What is the truth about dropping your waist size…i.e., losing waist instead of losing weight?

First of all, there is no such thing as “spot” fat loss without surgical liposuction. That means it is not possible to reduce your waist size without losing weight in other areas as well. Spot fat loss techniques such as specific exercises, exercise devices, creams, lotions, packs, and even mesotherapy injections are not effective.

Second, everyone is in search of the elusive “6 pack abs”, but the truth is unless you are crippled and disabled, you already have a six pack! Unfortunately it is covered by an abdominal fat pad that makes it impossible to see. The only way to see the 6 pack is to bring your body fat percent down low enough that the abdominal fat shrinks to almost nothing. Surely abdominal and core training exercises will improve the definition of the abdominal muscles, but such efforts in themselves will NEVER create a 6 pack effect, nor are they likely to decrease the waist measurement to any great extent. For that to happen, you’ll have to lose a lot of body fat, so that means the right diet for you and regularly doing mostly aerobic type exercises. If you want to throw in some ab training for that great day when those muscles finally show through, go ahead. In fact ab/core training is very useful for overall health, posture, resistance to injury, flexibility, and stamina and therefore should be a part of most peoples’ workout routine. Just don’t expect those miraculous results you see on TV, or stop doing the execises when the six pack isn’t there after 6 weeks of work.

Third, the waist measurement in relationship to the hip measurement is an important prognostic indicator of the risk for coronary disease, diabetes, and a host of other associated illnesses.

Obviously the waist should be smaller than the hips, so a normal waist/hip ratio is less than 1.

If yours is greater than 1, you are at higher risk for a variety of health consequences, all bad, and this should be taken seriously by everyone that values their health. In many instances when these patients come in with a variety of health concerns, I explain that their entire treatment and prognosis depends on shrinking their waist measurement.

In some cases that is the only measurement that really counts to determine if a patient is getting better or getting worse. To give you an idea of the importance of this risk factor, studies show that men with waist sizes 34-36, 36-38, 38-40, and 40-62 are 2, 3, 5, and 12 times respectively more likely  to develop diabetes than men with waist size 29 to 34. Although reducing the waist measurement is of pre-eminent importance, there will inevitably need to be some generalized weight loss as well for this to occur.

Fourth, the major metabolic determinants for excess abdominal fat are high glucose levels and the associated higher insulin levels. This usually takes place in individuals who ingest inappropriate amounts and types of simple and complex carbohydrates in their diets. Diet typing evaluations as performed here at CMRS will demonstrate the metabolic imbalances resulting from this condition, and provide a roadmap for the dietary changes necessary to overcome this problem.

Fifth, hormonal imbalances may also need correction for optimal results in taming the “abdominal overhang’, or “love handles” as they are colloquially referred to. Thyroid imbalances often result in body shapes where the person is a full size or two smaller above the waist than below the waist. The notorious “Budweiser Tumor” of middle aged men is caused by the high carbohydrate content of beer coupled with poor eating habits, and dropping testosterone levels.

Excess cortisol from chronic stress does indeed contribute to weight gain, especially abdominally, but there is no vitamin that is going to effectively reverse that problem. Stress management, diet control, and exercise will be the way out of that trap. Excess estrogen, inadequate progesterone, testosterone, and growth hormone can all lead to excess fat accumulation generally and abdominal and hip fat accumulation specifically.

The point of this article can be succinctly stated as follows. Abdominal obesity is not just a cosmetic problem. It has enormous implications for a person’s future health and longevity. Proper management can successfully prevent later deterioration in health status but will require a motivated patient working along side a knowledgeable natural medicine physician.