Belly fat linked to increased death risk

[momopi]

http://healthland.time.com/2010/08/09/b ... ur-weight/

Belly fat linked to increased death risk -- no matter what your weight

Carrying fat around your abdomen is bad for you no matter how much you weigh, according to a new study published today in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

In a seven-year follow-up of more than 100,000 Americans aged 50 or older, the most rotund men and women were at roughly twice the risk of death as the slimmest. Waist circumference was a significant predictor of mortality even for people who were not overweight as measured by their body mass index (BMI). "Even if your weight is considered ‘normal' for your height, keeping your waist size in check is important for your health," the study's lead author, Eric Jacobs at the American Cancer Institute, explained to Bloomberg News.


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[pete98146]

I'm in my late 40s and it's not easy to keep the weight off esp around the belly. I got tired of being a bit pudgy so I did something about it and purchased an indoor spin bike. I've had it 6 months and I love it. Granted, the one that I got was not cheap but if done properly, working out burns mega calories.

I figure spending $1500 was worth it and so far it has been. Google Keiser M3 Spin Bikes. They are the new generation indoor bikes used at many gyms. If you buy the bike, pickup some spin dvds from spinning.com and you are good to go. I try to ride 2-3x a week and each workout is close to 1000 calories. Really burns the belly fat off fast!!!!

Just wanted to share how I battle the bulge.

[momopi]

I use this:

[Rock]

There's a lot of skinny fat Asians (as opposed to full blow fat ass whites, lol). Basically, that means they have a normal BMI but also have a high body fat %. Males will likely to store much of that fat around the mid-section. Women often get lucky and store it more around their hips and ass (much safer, lower risk of heart problems, etc.).

A good way to diagnose your standing is to have your body fat % measured in an accurate way. Then gauges yourself against standards adjusted for sex and ideally race These are easily found on Internet. If you can't get it measured, there are some good proxy calculators online which use waist combined with hip and/or neck measurements. I think some of the armed services still measure body fat using one of the proxy systems.

I think the best way to get in shape is not just to burn fat through cardio exercise but to add resistance training to build some muscle. This 2 pronged approach is effective in a number of ways. A modest increase in muscle mass will cause your body to automatically burn more calories doing the same things. It will also drive your body fat percentage down faster than cardio alone since it adds to the denominator. Resistance training helps to build bone mass or at least impede its further loss. And building a bit of hard tissue looks better than just being super skinny like a marathon runner.

As you age, you loose muscle fibers and bone mass. Think of it as ice slowly melting in warming water. You can slow or sometimes even halt the process through resistance training - by making remaining muscle fibers bigger and helping your body to convert more mineral intake to skeleton mass.

[Winston]

What is an indoor spin bike? How is it different from a regular indoor bike at the gym?

I've been trying to burn off my belly fat since 1991, but it never goes away for good.

Do you think if I travel again and start walking a lot, it will burn off the belly fat?

[Rock]

What is an indoor spin bike? How is it different from a regular indoor bike at the gym?

I've been trying to burn off my belly fat since 1991, but it never goes away for good.

Do you think if I travel again and start walking a lot, it will burn off the belly fat?

Winston

I'm pretty sure you have a very sedentary lifestyle, both in Taiwan and in Phils, spending most of your time in front of computer/TV/eating/drinking. And as you age, your metabolism is probably slowing too which makes matters worse. As far as eating goes, I know you are a vegetarian. But its still possible that you eat too many calories and a lot of junk.

If you really wanna lose belly fat, one thing that will surely help is if you turn physical activity into a daily or at least frequent habit. And better to mix aerobic and resistance. If you spend 30 minutes to an hour a day doing things such as biking, running, brisk walking, swimming, martial arts training, etc. and combine some weight lifting or other resistance type activities, you body shape should gradually improve. With the cardio stuff, try to keep it constant for 20-30 minutes a clip.

Also important to analyze your eating habits and try to adjust out the junk and/or excess calories.

[momopi]

What is an indoor spin bike? How is it different from a regular indoor bike at the gym?
I've been trying to burn off my belly fat since 1991, but it never goes away for good.
Do you think if I travel again and start walking a lot, it will burn off the belly fat?

How often do you exercise?

[pete98146]

What is an indoor spin bike? How is it different from a regular indoor bike at the gym?

I've been trying to burn off my belly fat since 1991, but it never goes away for good.

Do you think if I travel again and start walking a lot, it will burn off the belly fat?

Hey Winston,

They are basically one and the same. Spin bikes have evolved quite a bit due to the advent of spin classes at the gym. A spin class is typically a one hour workout that is done in a large group. You put on music with a good beat and work on speed and power techniques usually done in intense bursts called intervals.

The bikes have morphed from your old standard indoor bike to sturdier, more comfortable, higher quality ones. Most also have elaborate computers that give you your wattage, estimated calories, speed, milage and rpms.

These days a good indoor bike runs $750-$2000 each.

They have several dvds that were made from filming an actual spin class. I like them because they are DIFFICULT yet fun.

But even without the high tech equipment, you could lose weight with a old style cheap indoor bike by spinning an hour to an hour and a half watching tv. The key is to spin the wheel at 80+rpms. It might be a good alternative to going out running in the hot sun in Asia. Ride the bike 3x a week for an hour while watching a movie and you should be able to see results.