Why Waistline Matters and How to Measure Yours
Your natural waistline hits at the area between the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your rib cage. Your waistline may be bigger or smaller depending on your genetics, frame size, and lifestyle habits. Measuring the circumference of your waist may help clue you in to your health.
A larger waistline may mean you’re carrying excess abdominal fat, which may put you at higher risk of obesity-related health conditions.
According to the
Read on to learn more about your waistline, and the connection between your waistline and your health.
To measure your waistline at home, all you need is a tape measure and some simple instructions.
- Begin by clearing your abdomen of any clothing that might skew measurements.
- Find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs. This is your waist, the space you’ll want to measure around.
- Exhale a normal breath out.
- Wrap your tape measure around your waist so it is parallel to the floor. Don’t pull too tight or let the tape fall too loosely.
- Record your measurement.
Understanding your measurements
Your doctor may be your best reference for understanding what a healthy waist size is for you. That’s because your individual body stats can affect your ideal measurements. For example, people who are particularly tall or short may have a different ideal waist size for health.
Our free assessment ranks the best diets for you based on your answers to 3 quick questions.
Your waistline is just one of the three key measures of your overall health. Two other important considerations are body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio.
Your BMI is a rough measure of body fat. You can calculate your BMI by dividing your weight by the square of your height, or by using an
The
| Below 18.5 | Underweight |
| 18.5 – 24.9 | Normal or healthy weight |
| 25.0 – 29.9 | Overweight |
| 30.0 and above | Obese |
Your waist-to-hip ratio helps show how much weight you carry on your hips, thighs, and buttocks. To calculate, measure your waist circumference and your hip circumference. Then, divide your waist measurements by your hip measurements.
According to the World Health Organization, your risk of
A
Increased disease risk
Your
Heart disease
Other risk factors include:
- poor diet
- sedentary lifestyle
- diabetes, obesity
- heavy alcohol use
Waistline size is also linked to metabolic syndrome, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol, all of which may lead to heart disease.
Diabetes
A 2015
The incidence of type 2 diabetes increases with age. Other risk factors include:
- a family history of the disease
- being overweight
- being on certain medications
- smoking
- having high blood pressure
- history of gestational diabetes
- stress
- high cholesterol or triglycerides
- being from certain ethnic groups (African-American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian-American, or Pacific Islander)
Stroke
One 2007
Other risk factors for stroke include things like:
- high blood pressure
- smoking
- obesity
- artery diseases
- atrial fibrillation
- diet or exercise habits
Inflammation
Inflammation in the body may contribute to conditions like:
- arthritis
- Alzheimer’s disease
- heart disease
- cancer
- depression
A 2017
Other factors that contribute to inflammation include:
- poor diet
- insufficient sleep
- high stress levels
- gum disease
- high cholesterol
Mortality
A
For women, the risk of death was some 80 percent higher with a waist measuring 37 inches (94 cm) compared to those measuring 27.5 inches (70 cm).
These results did not appear to be influenced by other factors, like age, body mass index, smoking and alcohol use, or exercise habits.
You may have a healthy waistline measure and weight, but if you’re carrying excessive fat around the middle, that can be considered a “red flag” and something worth chatting about with your doctor.
Why? Belly fat is made up of both subcutaneous fat (a layer of padding under the skin) and visceral fat. The latter is deeper in the abdomen and surrounds your internal organs. When visceral fat builds, it coats the heart, kidneys, digestive system, liver, and pancreas, impacting their ability to function properly.
People come in all different shapes and sizes. The same goes for waist shapes. People who have an “apple” shape, meaning those who tend to store fat around the middle, have higher health risks than people who have a “pear” shape, where fat tends to settle more around the hips.
One
While you cannot spot treat fat on any specific area of your body, the fat stored around your waist and the distribution of your weight may be influenced by your diet and exercise habits.
Methods to try:
- Move your body for at least 30 minutes, five days a week. Specifically, aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of more vigorous exercise per week. Try activities like walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, and aerobics.
- Crank up the intensity of your workouts from time to time. High intensity interval training (HIIT) may be particularly effective because it helps boost metabolism.
- Eat a healthy diet and skip processed foods and fast foods. Healthy choices include whole fruits and vegetables, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and whole grains. Look at labels and try to avoid saturated fats and added sugar.
- Watch portion sizes. Even eating healthy foods in large quantities may mean you’re consuming enough calories to gain weight. And when you’re eating out, consider packing up half your portion to go.
- Drink plenty of water and skip sodas and other sugary beverages that are full of empty calories.
- Reduce your alcohol intake to the recommended two drinks a day for men under 65, and one drink for women 18 and older and men over 65. One drink is equal to 12 ounces of beer, five ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of 80-proof distilled spirits.
If you’re concerned about your waist circumference, consider making an appointment with your doctor to discuss your health risks, diet, and other weight loss options.
Losing just
