Your waist-to-hip ratio compares your waist measurement to your hip measurement. Higher ratios can mean you have more fat around your waist. This can lead to a higher risk for heart disease or diabetes.
Why Your Waist Size Is Important
Carrying too much weight around your waist can cause health problems. Your health is affected by where you store body fat, even if you have a healthy weight or a normal body mass index (BMI).
Abdominal obesity. Too much fat around your waist is known as abdominal obesity. This fat is called visceral fat because it surrounds your liver and other organs.
Visceral fat sends hormones, fatty acids, and other chemicals that cause inflammation into your body. This leads to higher cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood glucose. It also leads to higher levels of triglycerides, a type of fat, in your blood.
Fat around your waist can make you more likely to have other health problems, including:
- Heart disease
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
This can affect both men and women, but men are more likely to have too much fat around the waist. Women are more likely to carry fat around their hips and thighs.
Waist to Hip Ratio vs. Body Mass Index
Your waist-to-hip ratio compares your waist size to your hip size. By contrast, your body mass index measures your weight against your height.
Which is best? Your waist-to-hip ratio might give you a better picture of your health than your weight or your BMI. You can be at a healthy weight but have too much fat around your midsection. A good rule of thumb is that your waist should be smaller than your hips, no matter your weight or BMI.
How to Measure Your Waist to Hip Ratio
Your doctor can measure your waist to hip ratio, or you can find it on your own. Here’s how.
Measure at the smallest point. Wrap a tape measure around your waist at the smallest point, usually around your belly button. This is your waist circumference. Record the number.
Measure your hips. Next, wrap the tape measure around your hips at the widest part. This is your hip circumference. Record the number.
Divide. Use a calculator to divide your waist size by your hip size. This is your waist-to-hip ratio.
Record your ratio. WHO defines abdominal obesity in men as a waist-to-hip ratio of at least 0.90. For women, it’s a ratio of 0.85 or more. A ratio higher than 1.0 for either sex means a much higher chance of health problems.
How to Use Waist-to-Hip Ratio to Improve Your Health
If your ratio is on the high end, try these tips to lower it:
Be more active. Most people who have too much fat on their waist or are overweight consume more calories or energy than they use. Without enough activity, your body stores the energy as fat. The simplest way to lose weight and lower your waist-to-hip ratio is to eat less and be more active.
More activity in your day can help you use up some of the energy you take in from food. Aim for a total of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week. Moderate-intensity exercise can include:
- Riding a bike
- Dancing
- Brisk walking
- Hiking
- Pushing a lawnmower
- Inline skating or roller skating
Change your diet. A balanced diet can help you lower your waist size. Try to include:
- At least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables every day
- Whole-grain and high-fiber foods
- Some dairy or dairy alternatives
- Unsaturated oils and spreads
- 6 to 8 glasses of fluids
- Beans, fish, meat, eggs, or other proteins
- Less sugary drinks and more water
- Fewer foods high in fat, salt, and sugar
Talk to your doctor or a dietitian to build a meal plan to help you lose weight safely.
Preventing a High Waist to Hip Ratio
Sometimes, health conditions can cause you to gain weight around your waist. These might include:
- Thyroid disease
- Polycystic ovarian disease (PCOS)
- Cushing’s disease
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
Some people eat to feel better when they’re stressed, but this can lead to weight gain. They might then feel worse because they’ve gained weight, and this can turn into a vicious cycle. Try to find a different way to distract yourself like:
- Reading a book
- Taking a walk
- Talking to a friend
- Exercising
Taking your medications and managing your health can help you keep a healthy weight and a trim waist. If you’re concerned about your health or your waist size, make sure to talk to your doctor.
As a health and fitness enthusiast with a deep understanding of the intricate relationship between body composition and overall well-being, I'd like to shed light on the critical concept discussed in the article: the waist-to-hip ratio and its implications on health.
The waist-to-hip ratio serves as a crucial indicator of an individual's distribution of body fat, particularly around the abdominal area. This ratio is not merely about aesthetics but holds significant health implications, as higher ratios are associated with an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other serious health conditions.
The article emphasizes the importance of considering where the body stores fat, even for individuals with a healthy weight or a normal BMI. Abdominal obesity, characterized by excess fat around the waist, particularly visceral fat surrounding vital organs, releases hormones and chemicals that trigger inflammation. This inflammatory response contributes to elevated levels of cholesterol, blood pressure, blood glucose, and triglycerides, creating a cascade effect leading to various health problems, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.
Men and women exhibit different fat distribution patterns, with men more prone to accumulating excess fat around the waist, while women tend to store it in the hips and thighs. This distinction underscores the importance of using a comprehensive measure like the waist-to-hip ratio rather than relying solely on body mass index (BMI) or weight.
The article recommends a waist-to-hip ratio measurement as a more nuanced approach to assessing health. The process involves measuring the waist at its smallest point and the hips at their widest part, followed by dividing the waist size by the hip size. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines abdominal obesity in men as a ratio of at least 0.90 and in women as a ratio of 0.85 or more, with a ratio higher than 1.0 indicating a significantly higher risk of health problems.
To improve one's health, the article suggests lifestyle modifications such as increased physical activity and dietary changes. Engaging in activities like biking, dancing, brisk walking, and adopting a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins can contribute to weight loss and a healthier waist-to-hip ratio.
Moreover, the article touches on factors that can contribute to weight gain around the waist, including health conditions such as thyroid disease, polycystic ovarian disease (PCOS), Cushing's disease, as well as psychological factors like stress, anxiety, and depression. Managing these conditions and adopting healthier coping mechanisms, such as exercise and social interactions, can play a vital role in preventing an unhealthy waist-to-hip ratio.
In conclusion, understanding and monitoring your waist-to-hip ratio provides valuable insights into your health beyond traditional measures like BMI. By incorporating lifestyle changes and addressing underlying health conditions, individuals can work towards maintaining a healthy weight distribution and reducing the risk of associated health problems. If concerns persist, seeking guidance from a healthcare professional is recommended for personalized advice and support.
