The waist circumference is the measurement around the abdomen of your umbilicus level, belly button. Measuring around your waistline may help you comprehend specific obesity-related health issues.
Waist measurement is often used by health professionals to examine individuals for potential weight-related health concerns. While waist size is a useful tool, it is only one indicator that may lead to specific health concerns, and it is not used to diagnose any disorders or diseases on its own.
While this approach is used in-office by health professionals and physicians, you can measure your own waist circumference at home.
Waist Measurement
Assessing your waist size (or circumference) can help you comprehend your risk for certain weight-related health problems. While waist circumference alone cannot predict whether you have a medical condition or whether you will develop one in the future, it can assist you and your healthcare provider in determining where fat is located on your body and whether that body fat may cause future health problems such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
According to experts, if you have more fat around your waist than around your hips, you are more likely to develop illnesses such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. You may compute your waist-hip ratio (WHR) using your waist measurement, which gives another screening tool for weight-related disease risk.
A body mass index (BMI) assessment may also be used as a health indication by your healthcare practitioner. A 2019 study, on the other hand, indicated that hip-adjusted waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio were better markers of health and probable health issues than BMI.
How to Take Waist Circumference Measurements
To accurately measure waist circumference, use a flexible, non-elastic tape measure. Remove any bulky apparel that may add padding to your abdomen and stand, with a tape measure placed over your hip bones.
To determine your waist size, follow these steps:
To achieve an exact waist measurement, stand up. When taking the measurement, the tape measure should not stretch.
Put the tape measure across your tummy and across your belly button. The tape measure should be placed softly on your skin.
Once the tape measure is properly positioned, slowly inhale and exhale to take the measurement.
Take the measurement three times to ensure a consistent outcome. Holding the tape too tightly, causing it to dig into your body, or too loosely, causing it to sag, will result in an inaccurate result.
How to Take Body Measurements Correctly
Examine Your Health Risk
To find out how your waist circumference compares, use the chart below to see if your waist measurement implies an increased risk of disease. Individual circumstances may differ, so consult with a doctor to determine the next steps.
If your waist measures larger than the numbers shown below, you may be at a higher risk of weight-related health problems. The waist circumference recommendation for Asians may need to be reduced. A 2019 study of 209 Chinese men and 318 Chinese women discovered that waist circumferences greater than 32.5 inches for male and 29 inches for women result in increased insulin resistance.
Higher Risk Waist Circumference Measurements
MEN > 40 inches (102 Centimeters)
Women > 35 inches (89 Centimeters)
How to Decrease Your Waist Size
If you find your waist circumference is in the high-risk zone, working with your doctor and a certified dietitian to lose body fat and lower midsection fat can improve your health and well-being. Consider the following daily habits to get started.
Diet
The first step toward improving your overall health by reducing your waist measurement is to assess your eating habits. To begin, keep track of your portion amounts and compare them to the suggested serving size. If you’re unsure how much to eat, use a calorie calculator to calculate your body’s daily caloric requirements. Finally, check calories to ensure that you’re getting enough to fuel your body and lose weight safely.
Consider improving your nutrient density by including more nutrient-dense foods in your meal planning, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean meats, and other unprocessed foods.
Breakfast is skipped by about a quarter of all Americans. Although additional study is needed to prove the value of breakfast, a 2019 meta-analysis of eight studies and around 284,000 participants indicated that skipping breakfast increases the risk of heart disease. Skipping breakfast may also increase your risk of developing diabetes, becoming overweight, having high blood pressure, and developing insulin resistance.
Avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages, particularly soda, can help you reduce your sugar and calorie intake. Stopping sugary beverages can have numerous benefits, including improved sleep, higher energy, and, most significantly, weight loss. Any weight loss can then definitely lead to a smaller waist measurement and a lower risk of disease.
Exercise
Once you’ve established a healthy food plan that you can stick to. In addition, try increasing your activity level to burn more calories throughout the day. Which will lead to helping maintain a strong, healthy body. Again, utilize an online calorie calculator to determine how many calories you presently burn per day, then make tiny lifestyle modifications to burn a few more. Use the stairs instead of the elevator at work, for example, or go for a stroll every evening after dinner. Every step you take toward a better lifestyle matters. The CDC advises 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. Or 75 minutes of strenuous aerobic activity per week, with at least two days of muscle-strengthening training per week.
Changes in Lifestyle
Certain lifestyle modifications, in addition to food and exercise, can help reduce waist circumference and improve overall health. It can be much more challenging to find the motivation to make better choices if you frequently get too little or bad sleep. Increasing your sleep and minimizing exhaustion can help you lose weight. According to some experts, adults should get 7 – 9 hours of sleep per night.
Stress, like sleep, has a complex relationship with health. According to research, severe stress can often lead to overeating, and the foods we choose when stressed are high in calories and low in nutrients.
Finally, cutting back on alcohol can help you lose weight by lowering your calorie intake. Reducing or eliminating these useless calories can help you reduce your waist circumference measurement.
To Conclude
There are numerous techniques to assess your health and risk of disease—waist circumference is just one of them. If yours is higher than you’d like, talk to your healthcare practitioner about your unique health risks and get recommendations for the best methods to improve your general health.
Little, gradual adjustments to your lifestyle can often make the most effective in your health and pave the way to long-term weight loss, so it’s crucial to start the dialogue.