What are your vitals?
For anyone who watches medical shows you’ll be familiar with the term ‘vitals’. Usually in the middle of a dramatic scene when the patient isn’t doing well the doctor asks for the ‘vitals’. This term usually refers to blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate. We also consider vital measurements to be critical measurements – height and weight are considered under this umbrella. The Canadian Medical Association has now suggested another vital measurement, one that we should all be concerned about – our waist circumference.

These guidelines point out that overweight and obesity are reaching epidemic rates in our country. The concern about waist circumference is not cosmetic. The fat around our middle is the most dangerous of all fat. Abdominal fat is clearly linked to the increased risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and all forms of cardiovascular disease.

• 59% of all adults are overweight – nearly one in four
• 23% are considered obese
• 26% of adolescents ages 2 to 17 are overweight
• in the last 15 years the obesity rate in boys increased from 2% to 10%
• in the same 15 years, girls’ obesity increased from 2% to 9%
• data shows obese children are likely to become obese adults
• over 50% of Canadians are considered abdominally obese. Long term, this translates into significant risk.

Even a modest loss of 5% to 10% body weight, or a few inches from the waist, can result in significant health benefits.

1. Assess your diet – what permanent changes can be made? Diet simply refers to the way you eat; it’s not a restrictive, punitive way of eating to deprive you of your favourite foods. It’s important that diets be sustainable and attainable ways to manage health.

2. It’s critical to increase exercise. I tell patients that weight management is a family issue. Get out and do activities together. With the warm weather, simply walking, biking or swimming gets you active. Any recreational activity that gets you moving outdoors is a great way to spend time together as a family and you’ll be exercising without being aware that you’re doing so.

3. Limit TV, video games or computer screen time to less than two hours daily. It also gets you away from TV food advertising.

Waist measurement is a vital we can’t ignore. We have the knowledge to manage this alarming trend – translate it into behaviour. Get up, get out and get moving.

RECOMMENDED WAIST VITALS       Ethnic group Men Women       Caucasian ≥ 102 cm ≥ 88 cm       European, sub-Saharan African, Eastern Mediterranean & Middle Eastern ≥ 94 cm ≥ 80 cm       South Asian, Chinese, South & Central American ≥ 90 cm ≥ 80 cm       Japanese ≥ 85 cm ≥ 90 cm

H&L

Dr. Marla Shapiro, Assoc. Prof. at the University of Toronto, Dept. of Family and Community Medicine; she's CTV's Medical Consultant on Canada AM; and a regular Globe and Mail health columnist.