Neither too high nor too low a BMI is good, the ideal number is revealed! Controlling body fat is more important

Many people pursue a perfect body shape and always hope that the lower the BMI value, the better. Shi Yizhong, director of the Department of Cardiology at Lian On Clinic, said that the key to health is not the weight number or BMI, but "body fat", and even the "amount" and "distribution location" of body fat. It is not good to have a BMI value that is too low or too high. It is recommended that the BMI of Chinese people should be between 18.5 and 24. If it is greater than 25, it is not necessarily a bad thing.

Shohei Ohtani is overweight, but he is strong

Shi Yizhong takes the American professional baseball star Shohei Ohtani as an example. This pitcher and hitter are both pitchers and hitters. He is 193 centimeters tall and weighs about 95 kilograms. If calculated according to the BMI (body mass index), 25.5 is in the "overweight" range, but he is compared to being very strong. Many athletes are in the same situation. People with high muscle mass may be misjudged as overweight or obese. Therefore, body fat percentage can more accurately reflect body composition.

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"BMI cannot distinguish the difference between muscle and fat." Shi Yizhong said that with the same height and weight, some people look firm and firm, while others look loose and bloated; if the volume of fat is greater than muscle, it is easy to make a person look fatter. Excessive body fat will increase the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. In recent years, in the field of obesity medicine and metabolic research, the two academic terms "Sick fat" and "Fat mass" have gradually been used to explain the health hazards caused by obesity.

●Sick Fat Disease: Excessive accumulation of white fat in the abdomen causes a series of hormonal problems, leading to chronic inflammation of the body, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and then cardiovascular disease. It is a chemical disease.

●Fat Mass Disease: It is related to the physical properties of fat. Excessive fat mass causes a structural burden on the body, such as excessive weight-bearing wear and tear on joints due to obesity, sleep apnea syndrome, etc. It is a physiological and physical disease.

Obesity is not just about being fat. Understanding whether a case falls into the above two obesity types can make the goal of weight loss no longer just "lose weight", but "cure fat disease", improve metabolism, fight inflammation, repair endocrine imbalance, etc. Shi Yizhong emphasized that excessive body fat is usually caused by long-term excess calories, and the body automatically converts excess calories into fat storage. Therefore, "controlling body fat rate" is more important than simply "weight loss."

Apple-shaped obesity is a high-risk group

The location of body fat accumulation also affects body posture. Depending on the location of fat accumulation, there are "apple-shaped" obesity with a protruding abdomen and "pear-shaped" obesity with a heavy lower body. The degree of health risk is also different. In particular, "apple-shaped" fat is concentrated in the abdomen and organs, making the upper abdomen significantly bulging. It is often a high-risk group for metabolic syndrome.

Shi Yizhong reminded that the causes of excessive visceral fat include eating too many calories, but also long-term chronic stress, which causes a large amount of stress hormone cortisol to be secreted, which promotes the accumulation of abdominal fat and forms "stress obesity." This is why some people appear to be thin, but have visceral fat problems, hiding the risk of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease.

Eliminate visceral fat and train core muscles

To eliminate visceral fat, Shi Yizhong recommends regular core muscle training and aerobic exercise. You can start with 10 minutes of core training every day for a month and make daily exercise a habit. The final ideal is 10 minutes of core training plus 30 minutes of aerobic exercise. For high-pressure workers, it is recommended to practice mindfulness for 15 minutes every day or clear your mind, combined with gentle abdominal breathing, to help relieve physical and mental stress.

Body Fat Accumulation Apple Shape VS. Pear

Apple Shape: Fat is concentrated in the abdomen and internal organs, causing the upper abdomen to bulge significantly, the waist to be thicker, and the limbs to be relatively slender.

Pear: Fat is mostly accumulated under the skin, especially the subcutaneous fat layer on the buttocks and thighs. This body shape is more common in women.

Measurement of visceral fat

Waist-to-hip ratio: waist circumference divided by hip circumference

Male

Female