Having a muffin top not only makes you more likely to hide under bulky sweaters, it also ups your odds of everything from Type 2 diabetes to heart disease. BMI, or body mass index, a common tool for gauging whether you're overweight, may not be as good of an indicator of your health risk as measuring your waist circumference, according to new research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Lyon, France. "BMI doesn’t take muscle into account, which weighs more than fat," says Matthew Daniele, a certified personal trainer and founder of Asylum Fitness. "Your hip-to-waist ratio is a much more accurate predictor of health risks because where you carry your fat is more important than how much body fat you have overall." Women whose ratio is .08 or greater are at increased risk of health problems, and should target fat around the middle. Calculate yours — no math required — here.
When it comes to boosting your metabolism, a high-fat diet may trump a low-fat diet — so long as you time your meals correctly. Researchers from the University of Jerusalem recently discovered that a scheduled high-fat diet actually helps your body burn more fat rather than store it in your middle. Why? "Just like you need to spend money to make money, you need to eat fat to burn fat," says Daniele. "Eating healthy fats at strategic times, such as first thing in the morning or before a workout, helps you torch more calories because the fat is converted into energy when you have no reserves." Try having a tablespoon of almond butter on a banana for breakfast, or top your salad with a sliced avocado at lunch.