Waist circumference is measured in centimeters at the narrowest part of the abdomen. Far from being a simple measure of beauty, waist size is a true indicator of good health. Measuring waist circumference is an easy way to assess abdominal obesity, which reflects cardiometabolic risk.
Discover the link between your health and your waist circumference, how to measure it right, what your ideal measurements are, and how to achieve them.
Waist circumference or BMI: which is the best indicator?
Weighing yourself and knowing your weight is not enough to determine how overweight or obese you are. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference also need to be assessed. Body mass index (BMI) is the ratio of weight (in kilograms) to the square of height (in metres). The calculation of BMI can determine whether a person is of normal weight or, conversely, whether he is overweight, obese or wasted.
What our BMI says about our health
If your BMI is between 18.5 and 25, you are of normal weight. A BMI below 18.5 is defined as thin, a BMI between 25 and 29.29 is defined as overweight, and a BMI between 30 and 39.9 is defined as obese. A BMI greater than 40 is defined as so-called morbid obesity.
BMI gives the first indication, but this BMI is not enough. BMI does not take into account muscle mass and the distribution between fat mass and lean mass (muscle). But what is bad for your health is belly fat.
Waist circumference, a valuable indicator
The waist is the narrowest part of the waist. We’re talking about belly circumference. Waist or abdominal circumference (AP) is a good indicator of visceral fat (fat at the belly level). If waist measurement is useful for choosing clothes, it also has health benefits.
It is possible to be overweight, but healthy. Conversely, you may be at a normal weight but have an increased abdominal circumference and abnormal metabolism:
Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar).
Arterial hypertension (high blood pressure);
Hypertriglyceridemia (high blood triglyceride levels).
Waist circumference indicates risk of:
Cardiovascular diseases;
hypertension;
Type 2 diabetes.
Therefore, waist circumference and BMI are complementary. Together these two measurements PA (abdominal circumference) and BMI constitute good predictors of cardiometabolic disease (coronary heart disease, arterial hypertension or diabetes if they are combined).
High waist circumference and cardiovascular risk
There is a correlation between waist circumference and cardiovascular risk. The more abdominal fat, the greater the risk of metabolic disorders and cardiovascular disease.
What is our waist size?
Once the waist circumference of women exceeds 90 cm and that of men exceeds 100 cm, we call it abdominal obesity.
Women with a waist circumference of 90-110 cm and men with a waist circumference of 100-120 cm have a high risk of disease.
A waist circumference greater than 110 cm in women and 120 cm in men means a very high risk of cardiovascular or metabolic disease.
How to measure your waist circumference?
Waist measurements are measured with a soft measuring tape, generally placed above the navel and level.
To measure your waist, you must stand with your weight evenly distributed on both feet, feet slightly apart.
Measure waist circumference around the deepest point of the abdomen, equidistant between the bottom of the rib cage and the pelvic bone (iliac crest).
Measured in centimeters at the end of a normal exhalation.
When it was time to reduce her abdominal circumference, monthly PA measurements were sufficient to monitor changes.
Waist Circumference: What Are Normal and Ideal Measurements?
For women, a waist circumference of less than 88 cm is a normal reference, and a waist circumference of less than 75 cm is an ideal waist circumference.
For men, a waist circumference of less than 1 meter is a good average and a waist circumference of less than 88 cm is ideal.
What to do if your waistline is too high?
If you have a large waist and are overweight, weight loss is recommended. A 10% weight loss is roughly equivalent to a 30% loss in visceral (abdominal) fat.
On the other hand, losing weight won’t help if your belly is too high but you’re not overweight. Changing your lifestyle and diet will allow you to lose belly fat.
How to lose belly fat?
To get rid of belly fat it is necessary to do physical exercise, preferably by alternating very rapid series and more series of general muscle strengthening exercises that work the entire musculature (push-ups, squats, lunges, dumbbells…) Recovery slow.
Diet-wise, to lose belly fat and therefore your waistline, you must cut out fatty and salty foods, alcohol, and favor low glycemic index (GI) foods that don’t raise blood sugar: fruits, green vegetables, legumes, whole cereal.
What to do if your waist circumference is too low?
Men with a waist circumference of less than 80 cm and women with a waist circumference of less than 70 cm have a very low risk of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes, so low waist circumference is not a problem. It becomes so when combined with a body mass index (BMI) of less than 18.5.
