Men’s Health Week UK

Men’s Health Week UK – waist size

If you have a beer belly, you should think about losing it.  That’s because too much belly fat is bad for your health and men are more likely to have it than women.

Why is waist size so important?

Your health is affected by where fat is stored on your body and not just by your weight. Carrying too much weight around your middle can lead to increased risk of:

• Cardiovascular disease
• Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
• Colorectal cancer
• Sleep apnea
• Premature death from any cause
• High blood pressure

Measuring your waist

In order to get an accurate measure for your waist don’t follow your trouser size! – You need to measure your stomach at the belly button. If your waist measures over 37 inches (94cm), you are at increased risk of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, stroke and erection problems. If it’s over 40 inches (102cm), you’re at a considerably increased risk of all the conditions mentioned above.

Find out your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is a way of finding out if you are at a healthy weight for your age and gender and is worked out through measuring your height and weight. You can find out your BMI by using the BMI calculator on the NHS website.

Apps to help with lifestyle change

There are many things you can do to lose weight including changing your diet, being more active and drinking less alcohol. There are a number of apps and tools that might be helpful in changing your lifestyle including the Couch to 5K, Active 10 app, NHS Quit Smoking app and Drink Free Days app, all of which are available on our Apps and Tools page.

Get extra support

For information on eating well visit our Eat Well page.  However, if you would prefer to talk to someone about making some lifestyle changes then call our health advisors on 020 8973 3545.

Find out more

Find out more about Men’s Health Week