Self-proclaimed plus-sized model Mikel Ruffinelli holds the record for the world's largest hips. At least, that's what I read this morning via Yahoo! News. The 39-year-old mother of four boasts a hip circumference of over eight feet wide. At 5'4", the Los Angeles woman weighs 420 lbs. and has a "proportionate" waist of 40 inches. Mikel "sees no reason to diet because I don't have health problems. Men don't fancy skinny girls; they like an hourglass figure."
Mikel attributes her weight gain to her four pregnancies with a nod to the 3,000 calories she consumes each day.
Mikel's self-confidence may give those with much lower BMIs reason to pause. But, excessive body weight, specifically concentrated in the waist and abdomen, places people at risk for a whole host of chronic and deadly diseases. A waist measurement of 40 or greater in men and 35 or greater in women greatly increases risk for metabolic disorder, heart attacks, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's, sudden cardiac death, and cancer of the breast, uterus, prostate, or colon.
Ms. Ruffinelli's weight/height ratio is associated with a BMI above 40, in the "extremely obese" category. Morbid obesity isn't as much a cosmetic issue as a substantial medical risk.
Very few of us will ever compete with Ruffinelli's record or weight. However, even a weight loss of ten percent of body weight for those with a BMI in the overweight through Obese 1, Obese 2, or Extremely Overweight category would benefit from a loss of just ten percent of body weight.
Where to start? Focus your diet on clean food, avoiding processed foods and fast food. As my beloved nutrition guru Michael Pollan says, "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants."
Of course, this may be easier said than done, especially when time constraints and exhaustion lead us astray to the world of fast food, frozen food, and that tempting bag of chips or box of cookies.
Just like your favorite Hollywood celeb has an entourage of handlers, those of you on the road to a healthier lifestyle will find goals easier to attain with some helpers in your court. In the next few months, I will begin seeing clients in my health coaching practice and welcome you to visit my website, http://www.bethckramer.com. E-mail me at info@bethckramer.com for a complimentary health consultation to get you on the right track!
Beth
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