It is important to measure body size not only height and weight

It seems that almost everyone has measured their height and weight, just to know whether they are ideal or not. In fact, there are many other body measurements that are no less important and you must regularly monitor them, you know. Anything, huh? Check out the following reviews.

Various body sizes that you must monitor regularly

1. Waist circumference

Waist circumference is one of the measurements that you should regularly monitor. The reason is, the greater the size of your waist circumference, the greater the risk of various serious diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. This is because the waist stores belly fat (visceral fat) which produces many harmful toxins.

How to measure waist circumference is actually simple, and you can do it yourself at home. Take a flexible measuring tape and take off your top before you start measuring it, so that the tape can come into direct contact with your stomach. That way, the measurement results will be more accurate. Stand steady while measuring. Can also ask for help from others.

The International Diabetes Federation establishes healthy waist circumference measures women are less than 80-89 cm, and menless than 90 cm. However, this body size also needs to take into account your weight. If you are a normal weight but with a large waist circumference, then you are still at a higher risk of developing various chronic diseases than people who have a normal waist circumference.

2. The ratio of waist to hip circumference

The waist-to-hip ratio (RLPP) is a number you get after comparing your waist size with your hip circumference. This number can also be used to predict your health risks.

After you know your waist circumference, now try to measure your hip circumference. After that, divide the two results.

3. Blood pressure

Another body size that is no less important for you to monitor is blood pressure. High blood pressure can indicate hypertension or a predisposition to prehypertension. Continued high blood pressure can lead to dangerous complications, such as heart disease or stroke.

Ideally, blood pressure checks should be carried out by experts at health facilities, such as pharmacies, health centers, clinics, or hospitals. However, you can also do it yourself at home as long as you have a manual blood pressure measuring device, namely a digital blood pressure monitor (sphygmomanometer).

Reporting from the Mayo Clinic page, it is recommended that you check your blood pressure at least twice a year to find out how much you are at risk for hypertension and its complications. You are said to have hypertension if the blood pressure reading is ≥ 140/90 mmHg, while prehypertension is between 120-139 (systolic pressure) and 80-96 (diastolic pressure).

4. Body fat

How much fat your body stores should also be monitored. Fat is indeed needed to protect various vital organs of the body, as an energy reserve, and to form body cells. However, the accumulated fat increases your risk for a variety of chronic health problems, from diabetes to heart disease to obesity.

You can take body fat measurements at the fitness center or in health services, in several ways, including using a bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) tool; and a special clamping device called a caliper.

5. Check cholesterol

Measuring cholesterol is done with a blood test, which aims to determine the levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in your blood. A complete cholesterol test, usually referred to as a lipid panel or lipid profile, includes a calculation of four types of fat in your blood: total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Cholesterol tests can help reduce the risk of plaque buildup in the arteries, which can lead to clogged arteries (atherosclerosis).

Checking cholesterol is an important thing to do, but unfortunately it is often overlooked. In fact, high cholesterol usually does not show distinctive signs or symptoms. That is why you are advised to routinely check cholesterol every five years for everyone over 20 years of age.

A good total cholesterol level in the blood for adults is less than 200 mg / dl. If the level exceeds 240 mg / dl, it can be said that cholesterol is high. It is important to know the cholesterol levels in your body so that diseases associated with high cholesterol can be prevented early on.