Research just released in the New England Journal of Medicine confirms the association between waist size and risk for death. When the study group took weight (BMI) out of the picture, those with a waist size in the top 25th percentile were twice as likely to have died after the nearly 10 years of the study.
We have long known that abdominal fat carries a higher risk to health than fat that is primarily carried in the hips. Those with primarily abdominal fat are more likely to have diabetes and heart disease, probably related to inflammatory chemicals in these people.
Reducing abdominal fat can be attained by reducing carb calories and through both aerobic and weight training exercise, in conjunctionwith long-term strategies to keep the weight off. Exercise is the best predictor of long-term maintenance.