A person’s waistline alone can say a lot about the amount of excess fat in the body. The waist circumference alone is an accurate measurement of the amount of visceral (pertaining to the internal organs) fat a person has. The bigger the waist circumference, the more fat cells there are coating the intestines, stomach, and other vital organs. This is very risky, of course, since central obesity – being abnormally large in the trunk region rather than the extremities – is a very significant risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
There are loads of fitness equipment and machines that supposedly measure your body mass index in an instant. You might have come across one in the supermarket entrance with a big promotional banner for skim milk. If you don't like numbers and equations, there are pocket-sized fitness calculators like this one that you can keep in your drawer. They are actually quite handy.
To interpret results:
The normal waist circumference for men would be less than 90 cm (<35 inches).
For women, it should be less than 80 cm (<31.5 inches).
*Values greater than these are not normal, and would signify that the person is at risk for heart disease, even if the Body Mass Index is normal.
To interpret results:
The normal waist-to-hip ratio for men is less than 1.
The normal waist-to-hip ratio for women is less than 0.85.
*If the value you get is equal to or greater than the ones given above, it means that you have central obesity and are therefore at greater risk for heart disease than the average male/female.
There are loads of fitness equipment and machines that supposedly measure your body mass index in an instant. You might have come across one in the supermarket entrance with a big promotional banner for skim milk. If you don't like numbers and equations, there are pocket-sized fitness calculators like this one that you can keep in your drawer. They are actually quite handy.
So how do you measure waist circumference accurately?
- First thing you do is remove any clothes you have at the region of the waist. You could do this by simply raising your shirt to make sure that your clothes do not interfere or add to your waistline measurement.
- You must be in a standing position with your abdomen relaxed, and your arms at your sides. This keeps fat from redistributing to other areas.
- Make sure that the tape measure you are using does not stretch.
- When taking the waist measurement, be careful not to compress the skin. Otherwise the value will be falsely low.
To interpret results:
The normal waist circumference for men would be less than 90 cm (<35 inches).
For women, it should be less than 80 cm (<31.5 inches).
*Values greater than these are not normal, and would signify that the person is at risk for heart disease, even if the Body Mass Index is normal.
The Waist-to-Hip Ratio
Another useful measurement of obesity is calculating for the waist-to-hip ratio, which is obtained by dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference. The latter is taken by measuring the hips at the widest point. It is important to make sure that both measurements have the same unit (i.e., both in cm, or both in inches).To interpret results:
The normal waist-to-hip ratio for men is less than 1.
The normal waist-to-hip ratio for women is less than 0.85.
*If the value you get is equal to or greater than the ones given above, it means that you have central obesity and are therefore at greater risk for heart disease than the average male/female.