A $2 medical marvel

A simple tool provides a simple truth -- your girth is an important indicator of your risk of developing serious health conditions.

It has no moving parts to wear out, costs $2 or less at some bargain stores and could very well be the next "big thing" in health care.

A common tape measure.

Simply place around the waist and if you are a man wider than 94 centimetres (37 inches) or a woman bigger than 80 centimetres (31.5 inches) in the mid-section, head to the doctor's office for a checkup.

According to more than 20 leading Canadian medical experts, your waist measurement is a "new vital sign" that accurately predicts your chances of getting a killer disease.

Not only is "belly fat" unattractive, it's the baddest of the bad fats, contributing to Type 2 diabetes (adult onset), heart disease, stroke and some cancers, according to guidelines published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Almost half of adult Canadians exceed the above maximum recommended waist size.

The authors of the guidelines urge doctors to check the waist measurement of every adult and all children over 10 just as routinely as they monitor blood pressure and heart rate.

Expanding waistlines are the obvious symptom of obesity, the product of poor diet and too little exercise. Saskatchewan fares particularly badly -- a 2004 Statistics Canada study showed Saskatchewan women had the second- highest obesity rate in the country and the province's men were heavier than the national average.

Excess weight is also a factor in the high rate of joint replacement in the province -- nine of 10 patients receiving knee replacements and eight of 10 getting hip replacements are overweight.

Add to that this week's Statistics Canada study showing Saskatchewan residents consume far too much salt -- fourth-highest among the provinces and above the national average -- putting them at risk for high blood pressure, a factor in heart disease and stroke. Almost 20 per cent of salt comes from pizza, sandwiches, submarines, hamburgers and hot dogs.

Bottom line: eat well, start moving and shed weight. When it comes to health, size DOES matter.