Know your numbers
Find out your blood pressure, cholesterol level and waist circumference – and check these regularly.
Waist circumference
Your health can be affected by how much you weigh and your body shape. Men often carry excess weight around their middle, while women often carry excess weight on their hips and thighs. Carrying excess weight around your middle (being apple-shaped) is riskier than carrying excess weight around your hips and thighs (being pear-shaped). Measuring your waist circumference is a simple way to check how much body fat you have.
Why is waist circumference an important measure to know?
Waist measurement guidelines are used to increase a person's understanding of their likelihood of developing lifestyle-related chronic diseases.These include cardiovascular disease, stroke, type-2 diabetes and some cancers Measuring waist circumference is a simple check to tell how much body fat a person has and where it is placed around their body.
The following guidelines are based on World Health Organisation and National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations.
Increased risk of developing chronic disease:
Adult Men: more than 94cm. Adult Women: more than 80cm
Greatly increased risk:
Adult Men: more than 102cm. Adult Women: more than 88cm
Please note that the waist measurements above are recommended for Caucasian men and Caucasian and Asian women. Recommended waist measurements are yet to be determined for all ethnic groups. It should also be noted that waist measurements for children have not been developed yet.
For more information visit the Measure Up Campaign www.australia.gov.au/MeasureUp
The keys to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is to balance the energy (kilojoules) coming into your body through food and drinks with the energy (kilojoules) being used up by your body through regular physical activity. Put simply, it's all about what goes in and what gets used up. For weight loss to occur, you need to use up more energy (kilojoules) through physical activity and consume less energy (kilojoules) from food and drinks.
Discuss your measurements with your doctor for the most appropriate way to manage your weight concerns.
Cholesterol
If you are not familiar with your blood cholesterol level, ask your doctor to check it by having a blood test. Regular blood lipid testing (to measure levels of fatty substances in the blood) is recommended for all adults aged 45 years and older. Testing is also recommended for adults younger than 45 years who have other risk factors for heart disease such as a strong family history of heart disease, high blood pressure or being a smoker. The follow-up frequency of blood lipid testing and treatment will vary depending on your age, level of risk and your doctor’s recommendations.
What is blood cholesterol?
Blood cholesterol and blood triglycerides are fatty substances found in the blood. The body makes all of the cholesterol it needs, however some cholesterol also comes from foods. Triglycerides come from food (all types of fat in food) and our body also makes them.
There are two types of blood cholesterol: Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is also know as bad cholesterol because it can add to the bulid up of plaque in your arteries and increase your risk of getting coronary heart disease. High density lipoprotein (HDL) is also known as good cholesterol because it helps to protect you against coronary heart disease.
The suggested target levels for blood cholesterol are
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LDL-cholesterol <2.0 mmol/L
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HDL-cholesterol > 1.0 mmol/L
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Triglycerides <1.5 mmol/L
Ways to improve your cholesterol
To control your blood cholesterol levels you need to enjoy healthy eating (including foods low in saturated fats). You might also need to take medicine to help your levels. If you have any questions about your blood cholesterol levels, talk to your doctor.
Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can strain your heart and speed up the process of coronary heart disease. Treating high blood pressure can lower your risk of heart attack and stroke, so it's important you have regular blood pressure checks with your doctor.
As the doctor pumps the bag, the pressure rises and it squeezes the main artery in the arm until no blood flows through it. When the air is released from the bag the pressure slowly falls. During this time two readings are made: The systolic measures the pressure in the artery as the heart contracts to pump blood into the artery. The diastolic measures the pressure in the artery as the heart relaxes. An example of how this is written is 120/70 or 120 over 70.
Blood pressure varies from moment to moment and is affected by factors including body positionk breathing, emotional state, excersise and sleep. There is no 'ideal' blood pressure reading but the following is a guide:
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Normal blood pressure: is generally less than 120/80 mmHg
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Normal to high blood pressure: between 120/80 and 140/90 mmHg
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High blood pressure: 140/90 mmHg or higher. If your blood pressure is 180/110 mmHg or higher, you have very high blood pressure and this should be investigated.
Reducing high blood pressure
To help to lower your blood pressure, it is important to reduce your excess body weight, be physically active, limit your alcohol intake and adopt a low salt eating pattern by buying processed foods labelled ‘no added salt’ or ‘low salt’, follow your doctor's advice. Long-term medicine may be required to manage high blood pressure.