Older guys with expanding waistlines (40 inches plus) are at risk for more than just another pair of Sans-a-Belt pants. They're chancing diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and mental dysfunction, along with some below-the-belt problems, too. Lower-urinary-tract symptoms (LUTS) that make urination difficult are a common complaint. A study at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell — Dr. Oz's hospital — found that 39 percent of men with the biggest waistlines (more than 36 inches) urinated more than eight times a day, but only 16 percent of men with the smallest waists went as often. It also found that men with LUTS had a huge drop in sexual performance: 74.5 percent of the big-waisted guys reported erectile dysfunction; only 32 percent of men with smaller waists did.
We'd like to leave you high and dry, with a sparkle back in your eye. So here's a simple three-step program:
1. Measure your waist. Place a tape measure snugly around your bare torso at your belly button. Keep it parallel to the floor all the way around. Exhale and measure. (Taking 2.5 inches off your 40-inch waist will let you go less, and get going more!)
2. Start walking — as far as you can, with a goal of at least 10,000 steps a day. And start off with two pedometers so you'll never have an excuse for not having one with you.
3. Upgrade your diet to include lots of veggies and fruits, lean proteins, 100 percent whole grains, and no sugar or sugar syrups.
© 2012 Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.