It has long been recognized in medicine that body size is closely related to health. It is worthwhile to take regular measurements one by one to see if your body size is up to standard. Neck circumference The standard value: <38 cm for men and <35 cm for women, generally the neck circumference is equal to the calf belly circumference. How to measure: Place a measuring tape horizontally on the thinnest part of the neck for measurement, i.e. the upper edge of the seventh cervical vertebrae at the back of the neck (the most protruding point at the back of the neck felt when the head is lowered), to the bottom of the throat knot in front. Several studies have found that neck circumference is one of the "natural ways" to measure body fat in the upper body, which is closely associated with heart disease. Experts from the Framingham Heart Institute surveyed 3,300 volunteers with an average age of 51 years and showed that for every 3 cm increase in neck circumference, the body's HDL (commonly known as "good cholesterol") decreased by an average of 0.12 mmol/L for men and 0.15 mmol/L for women, which results in more intracellular More cholesterol cannot be transported to the liver for metabolism. In other words, a thicker neck means a greater likelihood of dyslipidemia and a higher risk of heart disease, and a double chin and short neck can be a sign of an unhealthy heart. Neck circumference also has a relationship with sleep apnea. Shi Ming, deputy director of the Shanghai TCM Insomnia Medical Collaboration Center, told the Life Times that most people suffering from respiratory sleep apnea syndrome are obese, and people with thick necks tend to be obese overall, and if there is also airway narrowing, then the chances of suffering from apnea syndrome are relatively greater. Experts say that even if the weight is normal, you should always pay attention to your neck circumference, if you feel that your necklace is getting shorter, or your shirt collar is getting tighter. In addition to ensuring a healthy diet, you should also exercise moderately to reduce body fat, especially in the upper body. Waist circumference Attainment value: <85 cm for men and <80 cm for women Measurement method: stand upright with both arms hanging naturally, do not tuck in your abdomen, keep your breathing steady and measure the thinnest part of your waist by running the leather ruler horizontally along the upper edge of your belly button and below your rib cage around your waist in 1 circle. Waist circumference is an important indicator of the length of a person's life. Harvard University, Boston Hospital and other institutions researchers found through the analysis of 44,600 women's disease records, waist circumference, etc., the waist circumference of more than 89 cm than the waist circumference of less than 71 cm women, the risk of premature death 79% higher. The waist and abdomen is also a concentration of important organs such as kidneys, pancreas and liver. If there is too much fat, it will destroy the insulin system and increase the risk of hypertension, dyslipidemia, fatty liver, diabetes and other diseases. Not only that, but the World Cancer Research Fund has reported that for every 1 inch increase in waist circumference, the risk of cancer increases 8 times. It should be reminded that even those who are at the right weight, if too much fat is accumulated on the waist, there is also a higher risk of heart attack. Sedentary, poor diet and genetic factors are the main causes of a bucket waist. The Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Overweight and Obesity in Chinese Adults issued by the Health Planning Commission clearly stipulate that a waist circumference of ≥85 cm for men and ≥80 cm for women is over the limit. Experts suggest that people with excessive waist circumference should change their lifestyles as soon as possible, exercise for more than half an hour every day, and do aerobic exercises such as moderate intensity brisk walking and jogging at least five days a week. At the same time, quit smoking and limit alcohol, a reasonable diet, eat less high-fat food, more vegetables and fruits, etc. Body Mass Index (BMI) attainment value: 18.5~23.9 Calculation method: BMI = weight (kg) divided by height (m) squared BMI is a worldwide recognized grading method to assess the degree of obesity. According to the "Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Overweight and Obesity in Chinese Adults" issued by the Ministry of Health in 2003, BMI over 24 is overweight and over 28 is obese. The World Health Organization recommends that a BMI between 20 and 22 is the ideal weight for adults. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that East Asians such as Chinese, Japanese and Koreans have the lowest risk of death with a BMI of 22.6 to 27.4. Waist-to-hip ratio The standard value: <0.9 for men and <0.8 for women Measurement method: After measuring the waist circumference, measure the hip circumference around the widest part of the hip, and divide the two to get the waist-to-hip ratio (waist-to-hip ratio = waist circumference/hip circumference). Professor Gou Bo of the Department of Health Sciences at Xi'an Sports Institute told reporters that the "waist-to-hip ratio" is an important indicator for determining abdominal obesity. A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine involving more than 350,000 people in nine European countries found that the waist-to-hip ratio can be a more accurate measure of a person's health standards than BMI. The study showed that for every 0.1 increase in waist-to-hip ratio, the odds of premature death increased by 34 percent for men and 23 percent for women. The evaluation method recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine is that when the waist-to-hip ratio is greater than or equal to 0.94 for men and 0.82 for women, their risk of suffering from coronary heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases and diabetes is greatly increased. Professor Xing Xiaoyan of the Department of Endocrinology at China-Japan Friendship Hospital said that a waist-to-hip ratio higher than 0.9 for Chinese men and above 0.8 for women may indicate an excess of visceral fat. In addition to exercising, such people should pay more attention to their diets by replacing some of the refined rice and white flour with beans and coarse grains, eating less fatty meat and fried products, and changing the cooking methods of frying and deep-frying to steaming and stewing. Body fat rate The target value: 15%-20% for men and 25%-28% for women Measurement method: People who need it can go to gyms or hospitals to use professional instruments to measure it. Most people will determine whether they are obese by their weight, but in fact, it is not accurate. Gou Bo pointed out that the more accurate standard to determine whether obese should be the body fat rate, that is, the percentage of fat in the body to the total weight. Fat is very important to the composition of the human body, too much or too little will affect health. Generally speaking, men's body fat is higher than 25%, women are higher than 30% is obese, will lead to hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary heart disease, diabetes and other diseases; body fat rate is too low, that is, men below 5%, women below 13%, may cause body dysfunction. Gou Bo said that many people think of weight loss as weight loss, which is actually a misconception. Controlling body fat percentage is the key to healthy weight loss. The best way to lose weight is to do full-body aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking, jogging, swimming, stair climbing, cycling and other aerobic exercises, but also with sit-ups, dumbbells and other local exercises. Each exercise lasts at least half an hour. At the same time, change the sedentary, stay up late and other bad habits. Thigh circumference Attainment value: 46cm~60cm Measurement method: Measure with a leather ruler horizontally around the uppermost part of the thigh, under the hip fold line. Beijing Sports University exercise physiology department associate professor Wang Jun to the "Life Times" reporter, general thigh and calf thickness no uniform health standards, as long as the overall body can be proportionate, but the thigh to be thicker than the calf. Researchers at Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark found that, after analyzing the height, weight, thigh circumference and diseases of 257 men and 155 women over 12 years, the mortality rate of those with a thigh circumference of less than 46 centimeters increased three times and the chance of heart disease increased two times compared to subjects with a thigh circumference close to 60 centimeters. Researchers believe that the length of the thigh circumference may be proportional to the weight of the heart muscle, the thinner the thigh, the lighter the weight of the heart muscle. The study also found that the thigh circumference is too thick, the chances of obesity will increase. Therefore, the researchers gave a reference recommendation --- the ideal thigh circumference should be 60 cm, do not go below 46 cm. Calf circumference Achieved value: >33 cm Measurement method: measured with a leather ruler horizontally around the fullest part of the calf. A French study found that women with calf circumference less than 33 cm had a relatively higher risk of carotid plaque, which is a known risk factor for stroke. If the calves are thicker, then the subcutaneous fat on the calf belly elevates and stores fatty acids that promote blood circulation to prevent carotid plaque formation. Therefore, too thin calves are bad for health, especially for women, who should exercise properly to strengthen their calves.