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Quiz: All About Inches

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Your waist size can be an indicator of your overall health.

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Your waist size can be an indicator of your overall health.

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Waist size can be a reliable measure of overall health. Women with waists larger than 35 inches and men with waists bigger than 40 inches tend to have a higher overall risk to get obesity-related diseases than people with smaller waists. That includes type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure.

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For most people, the key to losing inches is losing fat.

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For most people, the key to losing inches is losing fat.

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For most of us, the only way to shed inches is to shed fat. That's because body fat, more than anything else, is what adds inches, according to Michael Esco, professor and co-director, Human Performance Laboratory at Auburn University Montgomery. The only way to lose a significant amount of fat -- especially if you have a lot of fat -- is to burn more calories than you consume.

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Extra inches around your waist are worse than around your hips.

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Extra inches around your waist are worse than around your hips.

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Abdominal fat is worse than other kinds because much of it is “visceral” fat. This deep belly fat wraps around the inner organs in comparison to fat under the skin that you’d find in the hips and thighs. Excessive belly fat also puts you at greater risk for type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and heart disease.

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Spot reducing can trim weight from your arms, buttocks, and thighs.

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Spot reducing can trim weight from your arms, buttocks, and thighs.

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You cannot spot reduce. To lose fat and weight from any particular area, you must do regular physical activity that works your entire body.

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You can tone your waistline with abdominal exercise.

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You can tone your waistline with abdominal exercise.

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The belly is one part of your body where targeted exercises can help you lose inches even if you're not losing weight. It happens because belly exercises can strengthen the muscles in your abdominal wall. That improves your posture and could result in a slimmer waistline -- even if you're not losing belly fat.

 

However, if you're significantly overweight, you'll see better results in your belly and rest of your body from a broader plan of diet and exercise.

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How many calories do you have to burn to lose 1 pound of fat?

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How many calories do you have to burn to lose 1 pound of fat?

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A pound of fat stores 3,500 calories. So to lose a pound of fat, you have to burn that many calories. But exercise isn't the only way to create a "calorie deficit." You can get the same result by eating fewer calories than your body needs. Many experts believe, however, that too many people focus on dieting rather than exercise. The best way to lose weight is to diet and exercise.

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What's the maximum number of pounds you should lose a week?

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What's the maximum number of pounds you should lose a week?

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You should lose no more than 2 pounds a week for lasting weight loss. Losing more than that is likely to be temporary.

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Excess body fat has been linked to:

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Excess body fat has been linked to:

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Researchers have linked excess body fat to many health problems, including diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and some cancers.

 

Losing weight can help improve your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, and your overall health and endurance.

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Women have a harder time losing inches than men.

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Women have a harder time losing inches than men.

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While everyone is different, women typically find it harder to lose weight and inches than men. That’s because men have more lean muscle mass and a higher resting metabolic rate. Also, women store fat differently from men; more of it goes to their thighs, buttocks, and hips, where it can be harder to shed. Finally, female hormones promote the storage of calories as fat, and fat takes up more space than muscle.

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Your genes always control whether you can lose weight and inches.

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Your genes always control whether you can lose weight and inches.

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Genes can have a great impact on how hard or how easy it is for you to lose weight and inches, but your lifestyle habits are far more important. Some people are bound to carry more fat on their bodies because of their genes. No matter what their lifestyle choices, they may never be as thin as people with thinner genes. You can offset some of those genetic tendencies, however, and lose weight by being more active, Esco says. Whatever your weight, good nutrition and regular exercise are important for your overall health.

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Who will lose more weight at the start of a weight loss program?

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Who will lose more weight at the start of a weight loss program?

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People who are significantly overweight and the most inactive can expect the most impressive results and can get the greatest health benefit from a weight loss program, says Howard Eisenson, MD, executive director of the Duke Diet & Fitness Center.

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Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD on December 14, 2011

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