At first, researchers thought that excess abdominal fat contributed to heart disease simply by influencing cholesterol production. Now, researchers are realizing that fat cells are much more than simple fat storage containers which sit idle until the energy from the fat is needed. To the contrary, fat cells are biologically active cells that produce a variety of chemicals that influence how the body works.

It is now thought that visceral fat cells produce a higher percentage of cytokines than other types of fat cells. Cytokines are chemicals in the body that trigger inflammation. Chronic widespread inflammation is thought to contribute to the risk of heart disease.

A calculation called the body mass index (BMI) was used to help determine if someone is overweight or not. However, the BMI can only determine if someone is generally overweight and does not take into account the percentage of abdominal fat someone may be carrying. Now, healthcare professionals recommend calculating the waist to hip ratio.
To measure your waist to hip ratio, first relax your abdomen and measure your waist at the belly button. Next measure your hips at their widest point. Finally, your ratio = waist (inches) / hip (inches). Women with a ratio above 0.85 and men with a ratio above 0.95 are considered to be at a higher risk of heart attack or stroke.

Determining if you’re at risk is the first step to decreasing your risk of heart attack or stroke. Proper diet and exercise can help shrink your waistline and your risk of these conditions.