A girl with a thick waist and a small belly may suffer from gastrointestinal crisis caused by three highs

Are you the spokesperson for "thick-waisted girl", "small-bellied woman" and "big belly"? Be careful not to fall into the "thick waist crisis"!

According to the National Health Administration's survey results on changes in national nutritional health status from 2005 to 2008, 33.6% of women have waist circumference exceeding 31 inches (about 80 cm), while only 20.2% of women had waist circumference exceeding the standard in the 1993 to 1996 survey, indicating that women's waist circumference is tending to become larger. Director Zheng Naiyuan of Lian'an Preventive Medicine Institute said that the risk of a thick waist is gender-neutral. Due to the sedentary lifestyle of modern people, it is easy for a circle of fat to surround the waist, or the waist-to-hip ratio exceeds the standard. Not only are people prone to suffering from the three highs, but their intestinal health also sounds a red light, and the risk of colorectal cancer increases greatly!

According to a survey conducted by Lian'an Preventive Medicine Institute, as many as 70% of office workers have a high waist-to-hip ratio.

According to a survey conducted by Lian'an Preventive Medicine Institute, office workers who are accustomed to eating out for three meals a day lack dietary fiber intake for a long time due to poor eating habits, and are also prone to consuming too much high-fat, high-calorie food. Such foods are usually high in carbohydrates, which easily stimulate insulin to convert excess calories into body fat and store them in the internal organs. As a result, up to 70% of office workers have an excessively high "waist-to-hip ratio". Zheng Naiyuan said that once the "waist-to-hip ratio" is too high, it means that too much visceral fat is accumulated in the waist and abdomen. In addition to easily inducing the three high diseases, it is also easy to affect intestinal health.

Lian An further observed obese people and found that they also had a higher incidence of intestinal polyps. For people with BMI ≧ 24, one out of every two heavyweight people has intestinal polyps. People with polyps in the intestines have several times the chance of developing colorectal cancer than ordinary people, indicating that obesity makes people more likely to be a high-risk group for colorectal cancer.

Director Zheng Naiyuan of Lian'an Preventive Medicine Institute said that an excessive waist-to-hip ratio not only makes it easy to suffer from the three highs, but also raises red flags for intestinal health. (Photo provided by Dr. Zheng Naiyuan)

Dietary fiber can promote intestinal peristalsis and reduce the contact time between carcinogens and intestinal walls, thereby reducing the incidence of intestinal cancer and promoting intestinal health. At the same time, dietary fiber has the characteristics of slowing down the absorption of fat and sugar and has no calorie. Therefore, consuming enough dietary fiber can prevent the accumulation of fat in the waist and abdomen.

However, Zheng Naiyuan said that the Chinese people's intake of vegetables and fruits is far lower than the recommended amount by the Department of Health. Adult males should consume 9 fists of vegetables and fruits a day, while adult women should consume 7 fists. People often mistakenly regard staple foods such as rice, noodles, and bread as the main source of fiber intake. However, since these foods are high in starch and low in fiber, excessive calorie intake in the long run may unexpectedly cause the problem of a thick waist, which shows that it is necessary to correct the concept of fiber intake. According to European research, fiber intake can indeed reduce the risk of colorectal cancer. If the daily dietary fiber intake is less than 16.4 grams, the colorectal cancer risk index is 1, but if the intake is more than 28.5 grams, the risk index drops to 0.76.

If you already have a large waist and abdomen, in addition to paying attention to your eating habits in daily life and maintaining intestinal health, you should also pay attention to the importance of gastrointestinal health checks. Dr. Zheng Naiyuan calls for a complete gastrointestinal screening every year starting from the age of 30-40, including fecal occult blood test, colonoscopy and gastroscopy. Especially those who have a family history of colorectal cancer, intestinal polyps, or abnormal diet and lifestyle, especially those who are at risk of waist obesity, are at high risk of colorectal cancer and should undergo regular screening every 1-2 years to stay away from the health threats brought by colorectal cancer.