Disease risk factors . By viewing your body size in relation to other disease risk factors, you get a clearer picture of how weight maintenance, gain or loss may play a role in your long-term health. Body Mass Index, or BMI, is the ratio of your height to your weight. The BMI relates to total body fat, and applies to both men and women. BMIs above that range add to risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
Abdominal fat is fat in the belly and midsection, around the organs.
Fat in this area increases disease risk more than fat in other parts of the body. Your waist measurement provides an easy estimate of abdominal obesity. Pull a measuring tape taut around your waist. Risk increases with a waist measurement of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women. The following risk factors are associated with a higher risk of developing heart disease.