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More than one-third of Turks have abdominal obesity, wherein fat is stored around the abdomen and waist, which paves the way for a host of potential health problems, some of them life-threatening. Dr. Ahmet Temizhan, head of the Turkish Yüksek Ãhtisas Hospital cardiology department, told the Anatolia news agency that 36.2 percent of Turks have abdominal obesity, commonly known as belly fat or a potbelly. He noted, “In Turkey, waistlines should not exceed 94 centimeters in diameter for men or 80 centimeters for women.”
Widespread weight problems first emerged in the United States, where obesity rates are the highest, Temizhan said, noting that in the US waist measurements such as 88 centimeters for women and 102 centimeters for men are acceptable. He stated that recent studies have shown that acceptable waist measurements changing from society to society is normal due to different average body types: “In European studies, it was found that medical warnings were issued regarding values much lower than these, establishing recommended maximum waistlines of 94 centimeters for men and 80 centimeters for women. These values are the same for Asians and Europeans; Turks should also not have waistlines exceeding these figures.” Obesity leads to fat deposits underneath the skin and around internal organs, Temizhan said. “Fat concentrating around internal organs causes the production of different hormones. It paves the way for the excretion of substances that block blood circulation and produces substances that spark high blood pressure and interfere with insulin control,” he explained.
Turkish women are at particularly high risk for developing waistlines that are too large, the doctor said, citing a 2008 survey on obesity and waistline measurements in Turkey that set the number of women with abdominal obesity at 55 percent, and the number of men at only 17 percent. “With males, we meet European averages. In women, however, we see oversize waistline rates of 20 percent between the ages of 20 and 29; 50 percent between the ages of 30 and 39 and 69.6 percent for the 40-49 age group. For women between 50 and 60, this rises to 84 percent,” he said. Among Turkish men, the rates are 7 percent (20-29 years of age), 13.5 percent (30-39), 19.8 percent (40-49) and 28.9 percent (50-6 . Commenting on the connection between waistline indexing and obesity, Temizhan explained that those with measurements over 30 centimeters above than ceiling are classified as obese, while those with measurements between 25-30 centimeters more than the recommended maximum are designated as overweight. “Obesity in women was at 40 percent, and 20.6 percent in men. There was no striking difference in obesity or oversize waistline levels between city dwellers and those who live in rural areas,” Temizhan said.
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I won´t say what my waistline is, but it´s sure beneath that risky 80 cms!!! 
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