New research involving more that 5,000 adults has revealed a link between a high hip-waist ratio and lower cognitive functioning.
Having an excess of body fat puts a strain on your body’s resources, however in addition, where that excess is situated is also of importance. Extra weight around the middle, known as visceral fat, surrounds vital organs and generates harmful hormones and inflammation in the body, increasing risks of heart disease and a variety of cancers.
Appropriate diet, exercise and sleep is required to maintain a healthy body size and shape, choosing to eat a wide variety of real foods, keeping hydrated with water and aiming for 150minutes of at least moderate level exercise across the week (to also include 2 resistance training sessions). Another key tactic is to always have breakfast containing a combination of protein and slow-release carbohydrates (think porridge with nuts and fruit). Also aim to explore a variety of types of physical activity as your body will respond differently as you require it to do different things. Perhaps most important however is that the whole secret to successful weight loss is to sleep well, with a solid routine across the entire week, helping to regulate appetite and satiety hormones. This means dedicating time to managing stress by switching off and making positive choices towards recovery. A good tip is to practice deep breathing as this activates the parasympathetic nervous system and promotes recovery to take place, as well as settling the mind.
Finally, if you are in a position where you feel you need to reduce excess weight, we would advise you to have a mindset towards playing the long-game. Rapid weight loss through extreme dieting and exercise regularly leads to an unsustainable lifestyle and usually has a negative rebound effect which results in an even worse position that where you started. Take things slowly, but keep aiming to look for progressions when you feel ready.