Waistlines

Measure, but don't cheat, which is OK because you don't have to tell anyone. Also, 7 other things worth your time.

To my mind, the worst ads on the Internet are those cartoonish, animated ones about how to lose belly fat.

However, it turns out that belly fat is in fact a real problem, and one of the most important indicators of whether you're susceptible to some major health issues that could easily cut years off your life.

It's not just a matter of correlation, either, where people who have lots of belly fat might also happen to have higher incidences of certain health problems. Instead, it's a matter at least partly of causation, meaning it's the excess belly fat itself that causes health issues.

As Jane E. Brody wrote in the New York Times a little while back, you might want to measure your waist using a soft tape measure to see if you think you might be close, and see if you fall into the danger zone.

(No need to cheat; you're not going to tell anyone your result unless you want to.)

• For men, a waist size of 40 inches is the number to be concerned about.

• For women, 35 inches indicates you have a p…