Your waist circumference is one of several human body measurements that can indicate your overall health and the risk of developing some diseases. Excess body fat around the waist, also known as central obesity or intra-abdominal fat, is associated with health problems such as insulin resistance, high cholesterol, diabetes and heart disease. Protein in the diet affects both body weight and body composition, and may affect waist circumference.
According to the American Dietetic Association, people who tend to accumulate weight in the thighs and buttocks area are pear-shaped. The body is classified as pear-shaped if the waist-to-hip ratio, or WHR, is 0.80 or lower, wh...
Aerobic exercise and a healthy diet can help you lose excess weight and fat, but non-aerobic activities such as stretching do not affect fat distribution.
Higher ratios are also indicative of hypertension, diabetes and coronary artery disease. Learning how to properly measure your waist and hip will ensure any categorization you base on this ratio meets ACSM standards. Waist-to-h...
Body composition, or the relative percentage of body weight that is fat or fat-free tissue, can be estimated with both laboratory and field techniques that vary in complexity, cost and accuracy. Two useful measures that are eas...
The way your body fat is distributed in your body may be a better predictor of your health risks. Individuals who tend to store fat around their abdominal region may be at greater risk of diabetes and heart attack than those wi...
Wide, or broad, shoulders are often considered to be an indication of athleticism, particularly when matched with a narrow waist. Psychological studies indicate that shoulder width, along with waist circumference, is o
Your glutes -- or buttocks muscles -- are the primary movers in your hip. They work with other muscles in your hip, legs and back to produce force and move your hip joints in various directions, such as hip flexion and extensio...
Carrying extra weight in your hips and waist can be uncomfortable and unflattering, leaving you wanting to make a change. Slimming your midsection and hips can help your clothes fit better, improve your health and even boost yo...
The amount and location of fat you have affects your risk for a number of health conditions. People who tend to deposit fat in the abdominal region are more likely to suffer from adverse health conditions than people whose fat ...
You don't need fancy or expensive equipment to do hip and waist exercises -- you can perform them right on your living room floor. Hip exercises keep you keep flexible and increase your range of motion. They also improve your b...
Obesity has been directly linked to numerous health problems, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and premature death. Waist circumference measurement is one way to measure central adiposity or obesity, and help p...
Achieving this build is challenging, but not overly complicated when you know how to approach the situation. Being that weight displacement is your overall goal, you will need to make adjustments to your diet and perform a soli...
Reducing the size of your waist while boosting your hips is a perfect example. This takes the right balance of dietary changes and exercise. By obtaining this goal, you will actually reduce your health risks as you
Dumbbells help build total body strength by supporting a wide variety of exercises. Dumbbells allow you to add resistance to body weight exercises, such as pull-ups and chin-ups, by clasping the weight between your ankles. Emph...
Perhaps you recently changed your diet or exercise program. The number on your bathroom scale may reveal little about your overall general health. Body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio are contemporary standards for measuri...
The stomach, waist and hips are common problem areas for those seeking the perfect body. The good news is, with some hard work and dedication, you can get the results you are looking for. Exercise at least three times per week ...
Slim in 6 is a six-week weight loss program that promises big results in a short amount of time. Designed by fitness expert Debbie Siebers, the Slim in 6 plan includes a series of exercise DVDs, a nutritional guide and access t...
Several exercises may improve your appearance by toning your waist and hips. Too much fat around your waist gives you an "apple-shaped" body; whereas, excess fat on your hips gives you a "pear-shaped" body. While men tend to d...
The functional purpose of the hips is to flex or extend the legs. The muscles of the waist turn, twist, extend or bend the spine. By exercising the muscles of the hips and waist, you help stabilize the lower back and improve po...
Increased fat around your middle is a leading indicator for the development of diabetes, according to the American Heart Association. As lifestyles become more sedentary, more people are looking for ways to shrink their waists ...
You might find yourself dieting and doing cardio only to lose weight everywhere but where you really want to. Fat sometimes comes off the waist, butt or thighs last and only genetics gets to decide that. Performing strength tra...
While not everyone is lucky enough to be born naturally thin, there are methods you can use to trim down your waist and hips. When used together, interval training and strength training exercises can help to remove fat from the...
Obesity poses health risks including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. There are several methods to help assess body fat, body-fat distribution, weight and chronic disease risk. These include BMI-...
Your waist-to-hip ratio combines two girth measurements to assess your body fat distribution. If you carry more fat in your waist, as opposed to your hips, you are at a greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol...
Exercises that focus on the hips generally include the buttocks area, or gluteus maximus, as well. When you combine those with waist exercises and total-body cardiovascular or aerobic exercise, you can achieve trimmer hips, a s...
According to Rodney Corn of PTA Global and former Director of Education for the National Academy of Sports Medicine, your waist and hips are part of the core muscles, which consist of muscles in your abdominals, back, and upper...
The waist, hips and thighs are centrally located regions of the body that can be toned with the right blend of exercises. To get the best benefit, you can include exercises that work more than one of these areas simultaneously....
There is good reason for their concern: The waist-to-hip fat ratio is an excellent indicator of cardiovascular health. Men and women who show a high waist-to-hip ratio are more susceptible to heart attacks or strokes. Certain e...
It also does not let you know if you have a specific body type that places you at a higher risk of disease. It is best to combine weighing yourself with other tools to give yourself a more complete picture. One tool is to calcu...
There are those risk factors that you can’t change, like your family history or gender. Lifestyle issues like exercise and diet are the factors over which you have the most control, and one factor in understanding yo...
Girdles have traditionally been made of a flexible elasticized material that is generally worn over the waist and hips and even down to the mid thigh to provide the body with a sleek and slender look. Originally made with hook...
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...
