Where is waist size measured

Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. Waist circumference is the measurement taken around the abdomen at the level of the umbilicus belly button. Health experts commonly use waist measurement to screen patients for possible weight-related health problems.

While a helpful tool, waist size is just one indicator that may point to certain health conditions, and it is not used to singularly diagnose any conditions or diseases. While health experts and physicians may use this method in-office, you can also measure your own waist circumference at home. Measuring the size of your waist can help you understand your risk for certain weight-related health conditions.

Waist circumference alone cannot indicate that you have a medical condition or that you'll develop one in the future, but it can help you and your healthcare provider to determine where fat is located on your body and if that body fat may cause health problems for you in the future.

According to the National Institutes of Health NIH , if more fat is located around your waist rather than around your hips, you are at higher risk for conditions including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. You can use your waist measurement to calculate your waist-hip ratio WHR , which provides another screening tool for weight-related disease risk. Your healthcare provider may also use a body mass index BMI measurement as a health indicator.

However, a study concluded that both hip-adjusted waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio were stronger indicators of health and potential health conditions than BMI. To measure waist circumference correctly, you should use a flexible tape measure that is not elastic i. You should also remove any bulky clothing that can add padding around your abdomen.

Follow these steps to measure your waist:. Take the measurement three times to make sure you get a consistent result. Holding the tape too tight so that it digs into your flesh or holding it too loosely so that it droops will cause you to get an incorrect result. To find out how your waist circumference measures up, use this chart to see if your waist measurement indicates that you are at an increased risk for disease. Individual circumstances may vary, so seek the advice of a doctor to determine next steps.

If your waist measurement is greater than the numbers indicated below, your risk for weight-related health problems may be increased. For Asians, the waist circumference recommendation may need to be lower. A study done on chinese men and chinese women found that increased insulin resistance is observed when waist circumferences are greater than 29 inches for women and If your waist circumference is in the high-risk range according to the table above, working with your doctor and a registered dietitian to lose body fat and reduce the fat in your midsection can improve your health and well-being.

To get started, consider the following daily habits. The first step to reducing your waist measurement for your overall health is to evaluate your eating habits. To get started, try observing your portion sizes and comparing your portions to the recommended serving size. Researchers say your genes can determine where you store belly fat, and that can have health consequences.

Trimming your waistline requires patience and some discipline. The best approach is to target body fat overall instead of concentrating only on your…. New research has found that a vegetarian diet can be cheaper than other diets, when ordering food online. Many people store fat in the belly, and losing fat from this area can be hard. Here are 19 effective tips to lose belly fat, based on studies. Despite their cute name, there isn't much to love about love handles.

Here are 17 ways to get rid of them for good. This article…. Researchers say the type 2 diabetes drug semaglutide can help people lose weight by decreasing appetite and energy intake. Others say it can be used as a starting point for health assessments. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Daniel Bubnis, M. Overview How to measure Waistline and health Waistline vs. What is the waistline?

How to measure your waistline. Share on Pinterest. Below Are waistline and belly fat related? Waist shape. How to decrease waist size. Read this next. Yes No. Log in Social login does not work in incognito and private browsers. Please log in with your username or email to continue. No account yet? Create an account. Edit this Article. We use cookies to make wikiHow great.

By using our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Cookie Settings. Learn why people trust wikiHow. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Method 1. Remove or raise clothing. To get an accurate measurement, you need to ensure that the tape measure is resting against your bare stomach, so you should remove any layers of clothing blocking your waist. Remove your shirt or lift it to just below your chest.

If your pants are in the way, undo them and pull them down around your hips. Find your waist. Use your fingers to find the top of your hips and the base of your rib cage. Your waist is the soft, fleshy section between these two bony parts. Wrap the measuring tape around your waist. Stand up straight and breathe normally. Hold the end of the tape measure at your navel and circle it around your back to the front of your waist. The measuring tape should be parallel to the floor and fit snugly around your torso without digging into your skin.

Read the tape. Exhale and then check the measurement on the tape. Double-check your measurement. Repeat the measurement once more to ensure the accuracy of your original measurement.

If it is different from the first time, measure for a third time and take the average of the three numbers. Method 2. Check to see if your measurement is healthy. A healthy measurement for a man is less than 37 inches 94 cm or less than Consider any factors that may reduce the usefulness of your result.

In some situations, a waist measurement is not a helpful indication of good health. For example, if you are pregnant or if you have a medical condition that causes your abdomen to appear distended full or bloated , then waist measurement may be outside of the healthy parameters even if you are in good health.

Likewise, some ethnic backgrounds predispose people to a larger waist size, such as people who are of Chinese, Japanese, South Asian, Aboriginal, or Torres Strait Islander descent. Check your BMI for more information on your weight. If you are not sure whether or not you are in a healthy weight range after taking your waist measurement, then you may also consider checking your BMI Body Mass Index.