1. Measure the Right Parts
Measuring your body accurately is important in order to calculate your waist-to-hip ratio. You will need the flexible kind of tape measure that tailors and sewers use, or mark a string that you can measure on a yardstick. Keep the starting end of the tape measure pinched between a finger and thumb and wrap the rest around your body. Measure your belly, finding the smallest area between your belly button and bottom of your rib cage. Take a breath in while measuring, make sure the tape is straight all the way around your body and measure only over a very thin layer of clothing or none at all. Find the largest area around the hips to measure.
2. Simple Math
Calculating your waist-to-hip ratio is as simple as second grade math. It is only a division problem, and the only challenge is making sure you divide the right number by the other. Calculate your ratio by dividing your waist measurement by your hip measurement. A number of .8 and lower for a woman is ideal. A number of .9 or lower for a man is ideal.
3. Different Body Shapes
There are many different body shapes. One, defined as apple shape, is when most fat collects around the waist and upper body. Another body shape is pear shape when the fat collects around the hips and legs. A boxy body type carries the weight evenly everywhere. There are square builds with broad shoulders and wide waists and there are rounded figures with narrow shoulders and wider hips.
4. Apples May Not Keep the Doctor Away
Apple-type body shapes are the ones that have the highest waist-to-hip ratio. While an apple-shaped person may have less fat that one of another shape, because they carry a lot of belly fat, their risk for associated diseases is much higher. These include heart disease, diabetes, hypertension and dementia.
5. Have a Healthy Number
Diet and exercise will never change your body type. Lowering body fat overall and living a healthier lifestyle can greatly reduce the risks of these diseases, though. Keep your waist-to-hip ratio in a healthy range and lose a fat belly by eating low-fat foods, drinking plenty of water, doing cardiovascular exercise at least three times a week and doing core strengthening at least twice a week. Follow a healthy regimen and you will likely lose belly fat.
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