August 19, 2003
Ab-solutely fabulous ... but almost impossible to achieve
By Jack Komperda
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
link to article
Maybe you were looking for that "buy one, get one free" pizza in the supermarket and just happened to walk by the row of magazines featuring scantily clad cover models.
With their rippling examples of sculpted beauty bouncing off the page, the fitness magazines called to you with cute teaser lines promising fast results. Strip away body fat in six weeks. Time-crunch cardio: Get back your beach body in time for summer.
And the most menacing line of all: Bust your gut – chisel a stomach of steel.
What is it about the belly that gets people all worked up?
"The issue is attractiveness," says Dr. Randall Flannery, a clinical psychologist specializing in eating disorders and associate professor of family medicine at St. Louis University.
Having a "six-pack" stomach with a sleek grid pattern reflects a well-toned body, he says, but adds, "Generally, you don't get that kind of stomach without years and years of training."
That's right, it takes more than just crunches. Great abs are a product of good nutrition, aerobic activities and some kind of strength training – be it Pilates, yoga or those crunches – and, of course, genetics.
Yet many people will go to any length to try to get that sexy midsection. Pill popping. Fad diets. Infomercial products promising results in no time. And with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting that 65 percent of the American population is overweight, the pressure is on for Americans to get that body of a lifetime before it's too late.
The dangers of a big gut
"There is a definite correlation between waist size and long-term health risks," says Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at Washington University. "Fat in and around the body cavity increases the risk of heart disease. The excess abdominal fat increases blood lipids, interfering with the body's natural insulin function, resulting in glucose intolerance and insulin resistance.
"End result: It puts you at a great risk for developing diabetes."
A study from the National Institutes of Health found that men who have a waist greater than 40 inches and women with waists greater than 35 inches are at an increased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease.
Beware of quick fixes
The drive for lean abs can keep people in the gym until 3 a.m. trying to sculpt that perfect form. It also can lead to the use of unproven and unhealthy products.
"Abs? I don't have any abs," joked Ed Cezar, 26, while doing crunches recently at Gold's Gym in Maryland Heights, Mo. "I don't think there's one part of the body people should concentrate on. When you get to having perfect abs, usually the rest of the body is pretty fit."
Yet Cezar admits he's tried cheating the system by taking the dietary supplement ephedra. He stopped late last year after passing out from the drug, which acts as a stimulant.
Kim Johnson, 29, has tried supplements, too. She came in to do a quick workout before going home from work. Rather than drink water, she opted for a store-bought health shake filled with vitamins, minerals – and ephedra.
"I don't know what's exactly in there," Johnson says. "I take it because they say to take them," she adds, referring to infomercials on television and promotional articles in health magazines.
"When we're talking about supplements, most of the supplement industry has little research and virtually no regulation into products it's selling," Diekman says. "Ephedra is potentially very harmful. It accelerates heart rate, puts a person at risk for heart arrhythmias and increases their blood pressure."
Earlier this year, Illinois banned the sale of over-the-counter products containing ephedra, and the substance was linked to the death of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler.
A matter of body image
While body image has been regarded for years as a women's issue, recent studies report that men are quickly climbing the ladder of dissatisfaction.
A long-term survey by Psychology Today found that not only has the percentage of men and women dissatisfied with their bodies steadily increased during the past 30 years – with more than half of men and 75 percent of women having a negative body image--but the rate of men upset with their looks seems to be growing at a higher rate.
And the fitness magazines don't help, says SLU's Flannery.
"What has gotten different is that men are seeing themselves as trying to conform to particular culturally defined ideas of physical attractiveness," he says. "Just the title of Men's Health implies that the magazine supports living a healthful lifestyle, but most articles are about getting muscles – the subtext is that women will like you."
Flannery acknowledges the problem hasn't caught up to the body image dilemma many women face, but it's an issue that brings its own set of problems. For instance, while many women focus on being thinner, men dissatisfied with their bodies work on getting bigger. And Flannery says men tend to become more unhappy with their bodies as they get closer to their ideal shape.
"It's like when you're a weekend duffer in golf," he says. "When you start off, breaking 100 is great. But the opportunities for dissatisfaction are greater the more you focus."
Realistic expectations
So what's the answer for people seeking to look their best, and maybe carve that washboard stomach in the process?
Start with realistic expectations and start slowly. If you've never worked out before, go outside and walk, Diekman says. Get that one hour of recommended active exercise per day by walking your dog, pushing a stroller or even parking your car at the very end of a parking lot when going to the store.
When that becomes too easy, try jogging for short spurts. To check whether you're overdoing it, go running with a friend. If you can't hold a conversation during your workout, slow it down a bit, says Dr. Shirley Sarmon, professor of physical therapy at Washington University.
"The abdominals are muscles of expiration," Sarmon says. "If you're doing any high-intensity thing, you can get away without doing sit-ups. You're getting a good workout from just breathing hard."
At some point, however, incorporating a weight training regimen and healthy nutritional plan are recommended for those wanting to look their best.
There are dozens of diets and workout plans available. Talk to your doctor before starting any new exercise to make sure there are no risks involved for your particular situation.
And most important, have fun. Workouts should be part of your lifestyle, not an annoying necessity. Choose a plan that works for you and get to it. In the meantime, try our abs workout to start sculpting that marvelous midsection of yours.
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