Why You Might Not Be Overweight: The Latest Fitness News Buzz

For years, dieticians and weight loss gurus have told many people they are overweight or obese based on the body mass index (BMI) charts. But according to fitness news reports, research from the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine reveals your BMI score may be virtually meaningless.

What's hip about your hips?

Researchers say the best way to determine if you are obese or overweight is by measuring your waist-to-hip ratio or the circumference of your waist to your hips. Ironically, women who have a curvy waist-to-hip ratio are also identified by men in research studies as being the most attractive. Researchers say men subconsciously find those women more healthful and fertile.

• If you are a man, a healthy waist-to-hip ratio is .95.
• For women, the ideal ratio is .8.

In order to figure out your waist-to-hip ratio, you don't need expensive equipment. Just get out your measuring tape. You may find you need to slim down your mid-section. According to the news on fitness for the past several years, abdominal fat is often associated with clogged arteries. In contrast, fat around a woman's hips may actually be protective for her health.

Walk, don't run to lose weight

Although there is nothing wrong with running to lose weight, you might want to wait until you are in better shape before using that as a method of weight control. The latest fitness news suggests women who are involved in high-intensity exercises (such as running or high-impact step aerobics) are more likely to eat more due to a ravenous appetite.

The study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The latest in news on fitness reveals people who are fat have too many fat-storing enzymes and not as many fat-releasing enzymes as skinny people. The secret, if you are fat, is to slowly change your body by staying in your target heart zone and eating small meals spread out throughout the day. Eventually you will have more fat-releasing enzymes. Eventually, intense exercise will work like an appetite suppressant instead of making you hungry like a wolf! Until then, exercise at a low intensity by walking.

Buy a heart-rate monitor and stay within the 65 to 85 percent of your maximum range. If you are extremely out of shape, lean more toward the 65 percent mark.

When it's good to be anti-social

Another flash in the world of news on fitness is a study from the University of Toronto where researchers found people tend to eat more when they are at social events. In fact, people tend to eat more because it's time for lunch or because friends are gathering for food as opposed to being actually hungry.

If you want to avoid this dieting trap, surround yourself with likeminded people who want to eat healthful foods. Make sure you bring fruits in a beautifully-carved watermelon bowl or raw veggies and a delicious but low-fat tip to parties.

To sum it up

Finally, you can learn a lot by following the latest trends and fitness news. Stop obsessing your weight on the scale and strive to maintain lean muscle mass. Keep a check on your eating habits by avoiding high-pressure social situations such as all-you-can-eat buffets and pizza parties. Moderation in both how much you eat and how much you exercise is key!

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