Obesity is one of the main risk factors in developing cardiovascular diseases and other serious afflictions, such as diabetes. The other extreme, anorexia, is also life-threatening. It has been said that skinny is definitely not healthy, but then what weight or conformation is medically “correct”? Most women have curves and have pride in those curves. It seems, however, that your health is influenced by the anatomical location of said curves.

A study was conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that people who have noticeable fat deposits around their waist – popularly called “love handles” – have an extra risk when it comes to developing life-threatening conditions.

According to the study, it seems that every 2 inches above what should be your normal waist circumference raises the risk of an early death by anything between 13% and 17% - a worrisome statistic.

The Journal strongly recommends that general practitioners measure the waist of their patients on a regular basis, as it is a fast way to evaluate the health condition of their patients. The study basically confirms what doctors have known all along- there is a direct link between waist fat and health problems.

So far, the most basic self-assessment technique that people could use to establish whether their weight was within regular limits was to calculate their BMI – body mass index. However, calculating your BMI at home off a regular chart gives an inexact answer, as very few online charts, for instance, factor in age, family history, conformation and the like.

On the other hand, a very high BMI is still a clear indicator that you have a high chance to develop cardiovascular diseases and cancer. The waist measurement, however, is a more personalized evaluation with a precise answer.