We are almost at the end of Heart Disease Awareness Month in February, and I ran across an interesting article I wanted to share. According to the Mayo Clinic, if you have an "apple" shaped body, compared to a "pear" shaped body, you may have an increased risk of heart disease. We know that obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, and the "apple" shaped body is one that contains most of the extra weight around the middle or waist. This is compared to a "pear" shape, where most of the extra weight is around the hip area. How do you know if you are at increased risk for heart disease, based on your body shape? Two ways: 1. Waist-to-hip ratio. Measure both your hips and waist (at its smallest point). Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement to get the ratio. If your waist-to-hip measurement is greater than 0.85 (for women), it may indicate an increased risk. 2. Waist circumference. Measure your waist at its smallest point, above your naval. Measurement greater than 35 inches for women may indicate an increased risk. Please note: I hesitate to tell women to measure or weigh themselves, for fear of "a number" being our primary indicator of how healthy we are, how we look and feel about ourselves and our bodies. Usually, better indicators that make us feel good about ourselves, and empowered, include eating in a healthy manner, exercising most days of the week, sleeping well and feeling content. If you take the measurements above and fall within the "increased risk", be sure to talk with your doctor, and feel good that you are being proactive and can make some small changes in your lifestyle to make big improvements! Share any of your struggles or measurement findings with us, and we can help support you, too!