WTH is WHtR?

Move over, BMI, there’s a new measurement in town.

A better predictor than BMI (that’s body-mass index, of course) of certain health risks  is WtHR aka waist-to-height ratio. The findings, which are being presented at the 19th European Congress for Obesity,  show that WtHR is better at detecting risk factors for conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, abnormal body fat levels and metabolic syndrome.

This suggests WtHR could be used as a screening tool for determining health risks, and the research shows that:

Your waist circumference should be less than half your height.

(Did that ratio make you pause? I know my gut reaction was to question it —  but with our super-size-me lifestyles the world over, it’s not uncommon for one’s waist circumference to be greater than half one’s height).

Just another handy health tool your standard tape measure can be used for.

Although I kinda prefer a tape like the one above.

(Measuring tape mantra print, Modern Girl Blitz)

Leave a Comment May 15, 2012

Location, location, location

Love, love, love this airy open-plan kitchen. (Image: Living Etc)

Where’s the closest grocery store; how functional is the home’s layout; how safe is the ‘hood; and, of course, how much closet space there is.

All things you consider when you’re in the market for a new space to call home.

But you might want to consider how dense the traffic is in the area, or you may find your girth expanding over time.  A new study conducted at the University of Alberta has found that people living in neighbourhoods where they perceived the traffic made taking a stroll unpleasant were more likely to have higher BMI than those who didn’t.

Leave a Comment May 12, 2010