You are busy with suicide. Many religions would frown on suicide. You are not to take your own life. In spite of that many people (and christians that I know) are busy with slow suicide. It is time to stop it.

Are you busy with slow suicide? Take this two minute test – find a tape measure. Ladies, measure your tummy about 1 inch (2 cm) above your belly button. Men, you measure about one inch (2 cm) below belly button. If this measurement is more than half (50%) of your height. you are busy with slow suicide. Now if you cannot find a tape measure, take any piece of string and measure your belly – take the string twice around your body. Now if this string is longer than your height you are busy with slow suicide.

This is a useful chart from Dr Margaret Ashwell where you can plot yourself on the graph.

You may say, why do I need to take action?

How Does Belly Fat Harm You?

Belly fat doesn’t just lay idle at your beltline. Researchers describe it as an active “organ” in your body — one that churns out hormones and inflammatory substances.

“Abdominal fat is thought to break down easily into fatty acids, which flow directly into the liver and into muscle,” says Lewis Kuller, MD, DPH, professor and past chair of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health.

When these excess fatty acids drain into the liver, they trigger a chain reaction of changes — increasing the production of LDL ‘bad’ cholesterol and triglycerides. During this time insulin can also become less effective in controlling blood sugar, so insulin resistance sets in, he explains.

Blood sugars start to get out of balance. Fats and clots get into the bloodstream, and that sets the stage for diabetes, heart disease, and more.

And research shows that abdominal fat triggers a change in angiotensin, a hormone that controls blood vessel constriction — increasing the risk of high blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack, Kuller explains.

Indeed, belly fat is a key indicator of “metabolic syndrome,” a cluster of abnormalities that include high levels of blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglycerides, as well as low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. This combination of risks has an impact on mortality from heart disease.

Belly Fat: Men’s vs. Women’s Risks

Men tend to collect more belly fat than women, and it starts early in life. “In adolescence and postadolescence, men start collecting abdominal fat,” Kuller tells WebMD. “It’s one of the reasons men have more coronary disease than women.”

In one study, men with excess belly fat and a large waist were most at risk for what researchers call “all-cause mortality” — early death from any cause. And because belly fat can trigger cardiovascular problems, a large belly has also been linked to erectile dysfunction in men over age 60. ( http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/the-risks-of-belly-fat )

This is indeed slow suicide. So what can you do about it? There are vaious ways to do this, but one of the best ways to reduce your waist line is to increase healthy protein intake and decrease carbohydrate intake. There is a huge argument out now about increasing healthy fat as well (Prof Tim Noakes), but the main focus now is – reduce your waist to a healthy level (or increase it if you are underwaist!)

Tim Ferris, The Daniel Plan, Herbalife, The Daniel Plan Detox, Tim Noakes, Banting diet, Paleo – pich something and start doing it until you find a plan that works for you.

Hansie Louw dropped over 20 kg and brought his belly in line with his height. So help me get this message out – stop the slow suicide!