Development of a healthier lifestyle starts with assessing your current health. A key component to assessing your health is understanding some important types of body measurements and tracking how these measurements change over time.
Height
Height can provide insights into an individual's health (1). This is because height is influenced by genetics, nutritional status during childhood and other phases in life and hormonal levels of an individual (1,2). A person that has been impacted by a disease may experience adverse impact on their height (1,2,3).
Weight
Weight is important in determining the potential that an individual has the presence of any health disorders associated with nutrition, chronic disease, or their metabolism (4,5).
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Mass Index (BMI) helps individuals to determine if a person is potentially underweight, overweight, and obese (6). However, BMI does not distinguish between how much muscle and fat an individual has in their body. So, at times BMI by itself will not provide an accurate picture of an individual’s health (7).
Waist Circumference
Measuring your waist circumference is a direct method to assess your abdominal fat levels. Excessive risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic disease (7).
Height-to-Waist Ratio
Your Height-to-Waist Ratio offers insight into body fat distribution and potential health risks. It considers the proportion of your waist circumference to your height (8). This is crucial because abdominal fat, is linked to increased risks of heart disease and type 2 diabetes (8, 9).
Maintaining a healthy body
A diet rich in whole fruits (e.g. coconuts, pomegranates raw cacao etc.), dark green and leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach and cabbage), and healthy sources protein (e.g. cashew nuts, almonds, goat meat, fish, and chicken) (10). Remember that eating in moderation is. important, along with minimizing processed foods and sugar. Incorporate a mix of cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises into your routine (11). Monitor your health metrics regularly and consult with healthcare professionals to interpret these numbers within the context of your overall health. Maintaining a healthy weight reduces the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension (4,5) There is substantial and even improve your sleep and mood (12) While each of these metrics offers valuable insights, relying on a single measurement can be misleading.
References
Perkins, J.M., Subramanian, S.V., Davey Smith, G. and Özaltin, E., 2016. Adult height, nutrition, and population health. Nutrition reviews, 74(3), pp.149-165. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4892290/
Grasgruber, P., Cacek, J., Kalina, T. and Sebera, M., 2014. The role of nutrition and genetics as key determinants of the positive height trend. Economics & Human Biology, 15, pp.81-100. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1570677X14000665
Samaras, T.T., 2012. How height is related to our health and longevity: a review. Nutrition and Health, 21(4), pp.247-261. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=980b0c16bbb63192db5d6e95b7ffadc08bc6050f
Barness, L.A., Opitz, J.M. and Gilbert‐Barness, E., 2007. Obesity: genetic, molecular, and environmental aspects. American journal of medical genetics part A, 143(24), pp.3016-3034. https://bases.bireme.br/cgi-bin/wxislind.exe/iah/online/?IsisScript=iah/iah.xis&src=google&base=ADOLEC&lang=p&nextAction=lnk&exprSearch=18000969&indexSearch=ID
Loktionov, A., 2003. Common gene polymorphisms and nutrition: emerging links with pathogenesis of multifactorial chronic diseases. The Journal of nutritional biochemistry, 14(8), pp.426-451. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alexandre-Loktionov/publication/10588478_Common_gene_polymorphisms_and_nutrition_Emerging_links_with_pathogenesis_of_multifactorial_chronic_diseases_review/links/5b47501aaca272c60938bd8e/Common-gene-polymorphisms-and-nutrition-Emerging-links-with-pathogenesis-of-multifactorial-chronic-diseases-review.pdf
Nuttall, F.Q., 2015. Body mass index: obesity, BMI, and health: a critical review. Nutrition today, 50(3), p.117. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4890841/
Han, T.S., Al-Gindan, Y.Y., Govan, L., Hankey, C.R. and Lean, M.E.J., 2019. Associations of BMI, waist circumference, body fat, and skeletal muscle with type 2 diabetes in adults. Acta diabetologica, 56, pp.947-954. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6597601/
Freedman, D.S., Kahn, H.S., Mei, Z., Grummer-Strawn, L.M., Dietz, W.H., Srinivasan, S.R. and Berenson, G.S., 2007. Relation of body mass index and waist-to-height ratio to cardiovascular disease risk factors in children and adolescents: the Bogalusa Heart Study. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 86(1), pp.33-40. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916523274481
Lo, K., Huang, Y.Q., Shen, G., Huang, J.Y., Liu, L., Yu, Y.L., Chen, C.L. and Feng, Y.Q., 2021. Effects of waist to height ratio, waist circumference, body mass index on the risk of chronic diseases, all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. Postgraduate Medical Journal, 97(1147), pp.306-311. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32371408/
Soeliman, F.A. and Azadbakht, L., 2014. Weight loss maintenance: A review on dietary related strategies. Journal of research in medical sciences: the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 19(3), p.268. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4061651/
Swinburn, B.A., Caterson, I., Seidell, J.C. and James, W.P.T., 2004. Diet, nutrition and the prevention of excess weight gain and obesity. Public health nutrition, 7(1a), pp.123-146. https://dro.deakin.edu.au/articles/journal_contribution/Diet_nutrition_and_the_prevention_of_excess_weight_gain_and_obesity/20536176/1/files/36754899.pdf
Reynolds III, C.F., Serody, L., Okun, M.L., Hall, M., Houck, P.R., Patrick, S., Maurer, J., Bensasi, S., Mazumdar, S., Bell, B. and Nebes, R.D., 2010. Protecting sleep, promoting health in later life: a randomized clinical trial. Psychosomatic medicine, 72(2), p.178. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2846078/
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