The neck circumference can be used to assess whether the concentration of body fat indicates a risk of developing diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, or obesity, for example. The ideal measurement of the neck circumference is up to 37 cm for men and up to 34 cm for women.
However, in addition to assessing the size of the neck, it is also necessary to assess other parameters such as calculating the BMI to confirm whether the person is overweight, in addition to assessing cholesterol, triglycerides and the lifestyle of each person, to make the more reliable result.
When the man is less than 39.5 cm and the woman is less than 36.5 cm, he is considered to have a low risk of suffering from heart disease or blood circulation disorders, but generally measures greater than these are generally observed in people with BMI above 30, which indicates obesity.
How to measure neck circumference
To measure the size of the neck, stand and pass the measuring tape around the neck, positioning it exactly in the middle of the neck.
The neck is wider in people who are overweight, because fat is also accumulated in that region. Measuring the neck is a good way to find out if you are within the ideal weight because it is simple and practical, with a reliable result, taking advantage in relation to the measurement of the waist and hip that can give altered results, when there is abdominal distension, breathing movements or the person tries to shrink the belly to look slimmer, for example.
What to do when the neck measurement is high
When the man is over 37 cm, and the woman is over 34 cm in the neck, it is necessary to increase physical activity, betting on cardiovascular exercises such as walking, running and swimming, and also dieting, reducing the daily consumption of sugars, fats and consequently, calories.
A nutritionist will be able to indicate the foods you may or may not be able to eat, but some of them are:
| What you can eat / drink | What You Ca n't Eat / Drink |
| water, coconut water, flavored water and unsweetened natural fruit juice | soda, industrialized juice, sugary drinks |
| vegetables and vegetables, raw or cooked in salted water or sautéed with the least amount of oil possible | potato chips or other breaded or fried vegetables or vegetables |
| lean meats like fish, chicken breast, turkey breast, rabbit | fatty meats such as cod, tuna, chicken leg or turkey, turkey or chicken wings |
| brown rice or rice with grains or seeds | plain white rice |
| low sugar, unpeeled fruit with pomace such as orange, papaya, strawberry | very sweet and thin-skinned fruits like grapes, peaches in syrup, all kinds of sweets such as pudding, quindim, ice cream, queijadinha, chocolate, cakes, sweets |
Regarding exercise, physical activity that can burn fat should be practiced at least 3 times a week. You can start with a 1-hour walk daily, but the intensity of the exercise should progress every month, becoming more and more intense, so that you can actually burn the excess fat. Exercises such as weight training is also important because it helps to form more muscles that will consume more energy, facilitating the burning of fat.
