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Think you're in the clear just because the scale says you're at a healthy weight? Roll out your tape measure, first. A study published in the Aug. 21, 2007 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology found that people with a higher waist-to-hip ratio may be at increased risk for heart disease, regardless of their body mass index.
Among the 3,000 adults, aged between 18 to 25, who participated in the study, those with the largest waist-to-hip ratios were almost twice as likely to have calcium deposits in their arteries-a key indicator of future cardiovascular ailments, including heart attacks-than those with the smallest ratio. "Even a small pot belly puts us at higher risk," notes study author James de Lemos in the Nov/Dec 2007 issue of Body + Soul.
To calculate your waist-to-hip ratio, divide your waist circumference by your hip circumference. The optimal ratio for women is 0.80 or less. ::Body + Soul
Difficulty level: Easy
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