Big Waistline, Stress and Baby Boomers.

Is stress to blame for a big waistline? Is it leading to heart disease? Why baby boomers?

Truth is: big waistline and stress are linked to heart disease, and this is bad news.

Good news: there is a way to prevent heart disease from happening!

I am Dr Stoyanova, a baby boomer, physician and researcher in the field of heart disease, obesity and metabolic syndrome, and I am amazed by the lack of basic knowledge when it comes to abdominal or central obesity (also called midsection obesity or "big belly").

To be honest, how many of you know what a big waistline is about? I know- very few. But this is about to change.

Most people have no idea that there is a difference between overall obesity and abdominal obesity to start with. In some cases people don't even know that they are obese and I am not exaggerating.

One participant in a clinical study who was told that he was obese said: I had no idea I was obese. Nobody ever told me that. I just thought I was a „heavy-duty- cuty”.

There is a growing body of research that points to the importance of omentum or big waistline (fondly called "big tummy") and its connection to baby boomers' heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. What is even more important is that there is data showing the correlation with cortisol (known as the hormone of stress) production.

The point is that not all fat in the body has the same function and the one around the waistline is directly related to stress and is the worst for the heart. That is why I call it the Big Bad Fat.

But why baby boomers? Are they the only ones that lead stressful lives?

Of course not- but baby boomers as a generation born between 1945 and 1964 have some particularities that make them more vulnerable to stress and fat accumulation than others. Here are some of the reasons why:

1. High total number of obesity (baby boomers have the highest absolute rate of obesity compared to other age groups)

2. High level of overall stress due to cohort specifics (going through menopause (women) and andropause (men); retirement; career change at 50+; empty nest syndrome; children getting married; „sandwich generation” taking care of children and parents; loss of loved ones; dating again after 50).

3. Metabolic changes (baby boomers are aging and even if they eat right and exercise right, the metabolism still slows down adding additional pounds to the waistline).

Why am I writing about big waistline and baby boomers?

I truly believe that no one makes bad choices knowingly, and that includes baby boomers. Bad choices are mostly the result of assumptions and lack of knowledge. So rather than only point out the problem, and threaten a fellow baby boomer with a big waistline that he/she is ”doomed” to develop a heart disease, I prefer to focus on realistic and practical solutions.

I have practiced traditional medicine for over 20 years only to realize that the healing process starts within the patient’s mind. In many cases, the disease comes as a result of interrupted body-mind connection (which means that the accumulated stress has become some sort of distress for the body).

You hear every day that you need to exercise regularly, drink plenty of water, eat organic food, no trans fat, low carbs etc. etc. I don't mind any of the above if one can stick to them for life. The problem is that I don't know very many people capable of doing it without slipping up here and there. Besides, the fat accumulated around the waist is stress related and can be controlled only by stress reduction. For example, sleep deprivation as a form of chronic stress is one of the major causes for a big waistline. Do your remember the last time you slept 8 hours/night, 5 nights in a row?

As you see this site is not about exercise and diet only. It is about your life style. If you are ready for some changes- get started with a tape measure.

You can find the normal healthy waistline measurement by gender under Waistline Measurement on the left side of the page.

Acknowledgement: The beautiful tree picture is courtesy of FreeFoto.com

Big waistline blog Information about stress and big waistline connection, tools for assessment, specific sources of stress for people over 50, and natural solutions for stress control and weight loss.

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