Shape matters a lot

The two parameters commonly considered in deciding about obesity of people being height and weight, the third feature namely shape of the body, apart from the look of the face, seems to get noticed in the open domain, attracting remarks that may be compliment or otherwise. Saying that height and weight (to some extent) are not amenable to be within control of the individual, while shape can be tailored to perceptible in change, is saying the obvious. All these components relating to the body also come handy in arbitrarily inferring whether a person is overall healthy or facing some health issue. Addicts to the heady stuff betray their weakness for the fluid that helps to kick life’s blues out, particularly overindulgence, by well-marked facial look. To a less extent, diabetics too stand exposed by the no-sugar-please request at the time coffee or tea is served.    

The result of dividing the number showing one’s weight in kilograms by the number showing height in metre multiplied by itself is used for classifying into normal, obese and very fat, the dividing point being 25. There are no measurable ways of deciding about shape of one’s body except using descriptive terms such as attractive or otherwise.

Of the many afflictions bugging the body, differentiating them between hereditary or contagious or acquired due to negligence in following  the rules of healthy life, diabetes is bestowed the highest attention in society. Even the unlettered are aware of the disorder nowadays. For the uninformed, diabetes is a medical condition in which body can’t produce enough insulin to process the glucose in the blood. In Ayurveda parlance, it is among 20 types of urological disorders.  A renowned physician specialising in the treatment of diabetes has modestly said that many diabetics understand the affliction better than the doctors.

A new research has shed light on specific genetics linked to body shape. The researchers at University of Cambridge, having identified over 200 genetic variants that predispose people to a higher waist-to-hip ratio (slim hips), reportedly found that persons with slim hips are at higher risk of type 2 diabetes. Whether hip shape and diabetes are in a spurious relation, more studies may clinch the answer.

This post was published on January 3, 2019 6:13 pm