My test results show an abdominal obesity ratio of 0.81. What exactly does this mean, and why is it making it so hard for me to lose weight?
The abdominal obesity ratio, or Waist-to-Hip Ratio (WHR), indicates where fat is concentrated rather than just your total weight. This creates a cycle where increased abdominal fat leads to higher insulin resistance, which lowers your energy metabolism and causes weight loss plateaus. It is less about overeating and more about your 'metabolic switch' being turned off; therefore, you need to reactivate this switch rather than simply starving yourself.
Medically, a value of 0.81 is calculated by dividing your waist circumference by your hip circumference. A high ratio suggests an accumulation of visceral fat, which significantly reduces metabolic efficiency. From a Western medical perspective, this is a state of increased insulin resistance, where glucose is stored as fat instead of being utilized for energy.
In Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), this condition is interpreted as a combination of Dam-eum (phlegm-fluid retention) and Eohyeol (blood stasis). Dam-eum refers to the accumulation of metabolic waste that makes bodily fluids viscous. When this is coupled with Eohyeol—impaired blood circulation—it acts like a clogged drain, preventing energy from flowing and causing it to accumulate in the abdomen.
Specifically, when there is Bi-heo (Spleen Deficiency), the body's ability to convert food into energy drops sharply. This creates a constitution where you experience bloating and weight gain even with minimal intake.
Ultimately, this ratio hinders your diet because your body is 'not prepared to burn fat.' The solution is not simply eating less, but rather clearing the blocked Qi and restoring Spleen function to flip the metabolic switch back on.
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