The waist measurement is certainly the best way to tell if you have developed a fatty mass around your abdomen , especially at the level of the upper part, particularly at the visceral level. Measuring your waist circumference allows you to assess the metabolic risk. It is easy to take the measurements of your waist and hip circumference, using a tape measure.
A bit like the BMI, these ideal measurements are only indicators, nothing more!
IDEAL MEASUREMENTS FOR WOMEN
It is true that we speak more often of the measurements of women than those of men. Yet there are in both cases, and this is an excellent indicator for determining health risks. The morphology of men and women has changed a lot compared to the 1970s because food has changed a lot, mainly due to industrialization. Indeed, the measurements in 2014 are not quite the same as in 1970: obesity has more than doubled (source: World Health Organization ). To be in good health, measurements in relation to the waist and hips must comply with the standards below.
The ideal measurements in men as well as in women help to maintain good health. For this the waist circumference in men must not exceed 100 cm , as for women, it must be less than 88 cm .
A woman’s waist circumference should “ideally” be less than 88cm. Otherwise, we consider that there is “abdominal obesity”.
Probably as important as waist circumference alone, there is of course the BMI (you can access the calculation page with the link below). But the WHR (Waist to Hip Ratio) is an indicator that has real utility. We offer you a tool to calculate it directly, at the top of the page. The ideal measurements correspond to an RTH of approximately 0.77 in women.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “ANDROID” AND “GYNOID”
An “Android” silhouette is an “apple” shaped silhouette , ie the excess fat mass is located above the waistline (more visceral fat). This is more risky than a “Gynoid” figure , which is “pear” shaped . The waist-hip ratio (which you can find above), precisely makes it possible to determine if you are rather android, or rather gynoid. Be careful, the RTH does not allow you to determine if you are obese (for this do the BMI test ), it only allows you to determine what your body type is .
WHAT ABOUT THE IDEAL CHEST SIZE?
As this page is mixed, you will find more information about it in one of our separate files (see link below).
THE IMPACT OF ABDOMINABLE FAT ON CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
A cry of alarm is constantly emitted by health professionals to encourage people to measure the waist circumference and the hip circumference. Indeed, the thicker the size, the greater the cardiovascular risk . Fat accumulates much more in the waist and on the hips, hence the need not to exceed the established norms. There is a lot of talk about abdominal belt syndrome. Many people suffering from diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, osteoarthritis hypertension have abdominal obesity .
You should know that weight alone is not, a priori, responsible for cardiovascular disease. It is the abdominal fat that is responsible for this. Fatty acids, including triglycerides, will affect the insulin produced by the pancreas (which will decrease). This is then the risk of contracting type 2 diabetes . Hence the importance and the need to monitor your waist and hips, to measure this part of the body and to reduce fat to improve your health (in a very general way) and reduce cardiovascular risks. For this it is recommended to follow a very reasonable lifestyle, favoring the intake of vegetables and fruits and banishing fats and sweets.
APPENDIX INFORMATION: RTH FORMULA
To calculate the ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference, simply divide the waist circumference by the hip circumference . The ratio should not exceed 0.8 for women and 1 for men . For example, for the woman if her waist circumference is 70 cm and her hip circumference is 90 cm, the ratio will be 0.77 which is a correct value. For information, the waist circumference is measured with a measuring tape, passing by the navel (that is to say by the widest part of the trunk normally).