It might not sound like the most pleasant thing to do in the world, but knowing how much belly fat you have can be extremely helpful when charting a course toward better fitness and health. Having too much belly fat and a waistline that exceeds 40 inches for men and 35 inches for women places you on a fast track for heart disease and diabetes. Getting a handle on how large your belly is will help motivate you toward a healthier lifestyle that involves weight loss.
Step 1
Measure your waist using a cloth tape measure. Wrap it around your belly just above the hipbones and determine the size of your waist. Next, wrap the tape measure around your hips at the widest point and take down that number. If the size of your hips is greater, then you might be pear-shaped. If the size of your belly is larger, you might be apple-shaped.
Step 2
Place body fat calipers around a section of fat on your stomach. The fat should be pinched right where it meets your abdominal muscles. Then, you can read the amount of fat you have on the calipers.
Step 3
Use a body mass index (BMI) calculator like the one at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine your BMI or body mass index (see Resources). This calculation uses your weight and height to determine whether you're underweight, normal, overweight or obese. If your BMI falls within the overweight or obese categories, you're likely to have larger amounts of belly fat.
Things You'll Need
- Cloth tape measure
- Body fat calipers
Member Comments