The amount of fat you are carrying around on your body, and the exact location of most of that fat, tells you something about the state of your health. Your waist measurement tells you if you have too much abdominal fat. Body mass index (BMI) is determined by a mathematical formula that measures your weight in relation to your height. The resulting figure tells you whether you are at normal weight, overweight or obese.
Significance
A waist measurement greater than 40 inches in men and greater than 35 inches in women indicates increased risk of developing health problems such as diabetes, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart disease, as well as a need to lose weight.
A BMI of 25 or above is considered overweight. A BMI of 30 or above is considered obese. If you are overweight or obese you are probably carrying too much fat on your body and you may be at risk of developing weight-related health problems such as high blood pressure, sleep apnea and gallbladder disease.
Body Type
Body type and shape are determined in part by fat distribution, or where fat is located on the body. Women are more likely to have a pear shape, with fat accumulating around the hips and thighs. Men are more likely to be apple-shaped, with fat accumulating around the belly or midsection. Women can also have an apple-type shape and men can have a pear shape, though they less often do. Fat distribution is determined by waist-to-hip ratio. A waist-to-hip ratio of 0.85 or higher in women or 1.0 higher in men indicates a need to lose weight.
Measurements
To measure waist circumference, wrap a tape measure around your bare waist at the narrowest point, just above your hip or at your navel. Relax your body and exhale before measuring. Use your waist measurement to determine your waist-to-hip ratio. Measure your hips around the widest part. Divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement. The result is your waist-to-hip ratio.
To measure BMI, use this formula: Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 703. Then divide that result by your height (in inches) squared. For instance, if you weigh 140 pounds and you are 5 foot 4 inches tall, first multiply 140 by 703. The answer is 98,420. Now square your height: 64 inches squared = 64 x 64 = 4,096. Divide 98,420 by 4,096. The result, 24.02, is your BMI.
Factors
Genetic, environmental, social and medical factors all play a role in determining weight, body type and distribution of fat on the body and resulting BMI and waist measurement. Lifestyle factors such as eating, exercise and sleep habits also contribute to body size, shape and weight. Solutions to weight gain usually focus on lifestyle choices, because those contributing factors are more easily controlled.
Considerations
Waist measurement, waist-to-hip ratio and the BMI formula are tools that can help you determine if you are carrying excess weight on your body and if that extra weight can potentially harm your health. BMI tells you whether or not your are a normal weight or overweight, but it does not differentiate between fat and muscle, and it does not take into consideration the distribution of fat on your body. That is why waist measurement and waist-to-hip ratio, used in conjunction with BMI, give a more accurate assessment of health status and risk of disease.
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