A piece of string may be all you need to gauge whether you are at an increased risk of developing certain illnesses such as high blood pressure, cancer and diabetes.
Stockport Council’s new health campaign, Stockport String, is a fun way to measure your waist to height ratio using only a piece of string. If the string when halved doesn’t fit around your middle, it is an indication that you are in a higher risk category.
Launched in October 2015, staff from Stockport Council will be at the match at Edgeley Park handing out string and encouraging the fans to take part in the Stockport String.
Belly Flop TV have been commissioned to produce 2 films to support the Stockport String campaign.
The first film is on their website here- http://www.healthystockport.co.uk/healthyweight/stockportstring
Using string to measure waist to height ratio is simple and can be done in six simple steps:
- Take your shoes off and measure your height against a wall.
- Cut a piece of string so that the string is a measurement of how tall you are.
- Fold the string in half.
- Find a place on your middle that is halfway between the bottom of your ribs and the top of your pelvis almost exactly where your tummy button is.
- Wrap the folded string around your waist.
- Does your string fit round? If it does that means you are a healthy body shape. If it doesn’t you may be at risk of developing heart disease or diabetes.
Cllr John Pantall, Executive member for Independence and Wellbeing at Stockport Council said:
“It is fantastic that we are working closely with Stockport County to launch this new campaign. The Stockport String is a really easy way of measuring your waist and can indicate if you are at risk of developing certain diseases.
“I would encourage fans to get involved on the day and measure their waist. There is also information available for anyone wanting to make small steps to change their lifestyle.”
For more information about Stockport String, the Healthy Stockport drop-in sessions and making small steps to make positive lifestyle changes visit: www.healthystockport.co.uk/stockportstring