A meta-analysis indicated that genes play a role in determining body-fat distribution, in particular waist-to-hip ratio. Consequently, some individuals are, therefore, more likely to store fat around their middle than on their thighs.

While individuals may not be able to change their basic body shape, it is still possible to reduce the amount of fat stored on the waistline. According to Harvard Health , visceral abdominal fat is less common among those in Mediterranean countries.

In contrast, Native Americans, Pima Indians, Hispanics, and those living in India and South Asia are more likely to have abdominal obesity. Black men and white women typically have less visceral abdominal fat than white men and black women. Sedentary people tend to have more abdominal fat than those who are more active throughout the day.

The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control CDC cite activities such as watching television and playing video games as having positive associations with increased abdominal fat and obesity among both men and women.

Eating too many calories, regardless of the type of food, may cause weight gain. For those that are apple-shaped, this extra weight will accumulate on the abdomen. Although it is not possible to reduce fat in specific areas, any weight loss in people who carry excess fat can help.

Individuals with type 2 diabetes, a heart condition, or another health issue should speak to a doctor or dietitian who can then advise on the appropriate diet and exercises to reduce belly fat. Having excess abdominal fat can increase the risk of several health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes.

To reduce this risk, individuals should aim to achieve or maintain a healthy waist circumference and WHtR. It is important to discuss individual risk and management techniques with a doctor. There are various ways to measure the percentage of body fat, and some are more high tech than others.

In this article, we describe the range of…. Health depends not only on weight and BMI, but also on hip-waist ratio WHR. To calculate your WHR, divide your waist circumference by your hip…. To find their ideal weight, an individual must look at a number of factors, including gender and activity level.

Learn how to find your healthy weight. Body fat scales can be an easy way to track body composition, but research debates their accuracy. Here, learn about body fat scales and the best…. Sustainable weight management involves eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, and engaging in stress-reducing techniques.

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Medical News Today. Health Conditions Health Products Discover Tools Connect. How to measure your waist: Health and waistline size. This article has been viewed 3,, times.

Your waist size can both help you choose the perfect pair of jeans and keep track of your weight, and it's really easy to measure. This article will show you how to quickly take your waist measurements and how to interpret those numbers.

Our Expert Agrees: When you're measuring your waist, look for the smallest part of your waist, which is usually a little higher up than most people think. It's usually a little bit above your navel. If you want to measure your hips as well, it's the opposite—you want to measure where your hips and glutes are the widest.

To find your waist measurement, first raise or remove your shirt, then stand up straight and exhale your breath. While in this position, hold the end of a tape measure to your navel and wrap it around the narrowest section of your waist.

Make sure the tape measure is snug and parallel to the ground. For tips from our reviewer on reading the tape measure, scroll down!

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Categories Personal Care and Style Fashion Body Type and Fashion Clothing Sizes Body Measurements How to Measure Your Waist. Download Article Explore this Article methods. Tips and Warnings. Related Articles. Article Summary. Co-authored by Laila Ajani Last Updated: July 3, Fact Checked.

Method 1. Remove or raise clothing. To get an accurate measurement, you need to ensure that the tape measure is resting against your bare stomach, so you should remove any layers of clothing blocking your waist. Remove your shirt or lift it to just below your chest.

If your pants are in the way, undo them and pull them down around your hips. Find your waist. Use your fingers to find the top of your hips and the base of your rib cage. Your waist is the soft, fleshy section between these two bony parts. Zip and button the jeans and lay it on a flat surface. Measure the waistband with a measuring tape from one end across to the other.

Double that number for the waist measurement. To continue to your preferred store, please select the correct option below:. Help CA US CA.

Back to Blog How To Measure Your Waist To Determine Your Jeans Size. Get a measuring tape. Ask the store clerk for a measuring tape.

Determine where the waistband of your jeans is meant to sit. Measure the waistband of the jeans.

Note the measurements in the first section of the size chart above are in centimetres metric and the second section is in inches imperial.

The size chart indicates the pattern size closest to your body shape. If your measurements are slightly different than our size chart, choose the closest size, as none of our patterns are tailored so that they require a perfect fit.

There are 3 ways to help choose a specific garment size to sew all available from the pattern listing page if you are "in between" sizes:.

Use the Finished Garment Measurement chart provided for each pattern. This chart indicates how much "ease" extra room a garment style has. A garment with lots of positive ease would be baggy or over sized. Check the measures around your bust, waist or hips to help decide if you need to choose the size up or down.

Read the Customer Reviews for each pattern which can also give a good indication for fit. Please ensure you check the "Pattern Updates" tab in case a pattern has been re-sized after consistent feedback from customers.

What if I am a mix of sizes - my body measures say, a size 12 top and a size 14 bottom? Most of us do not fit perfectly in to a standard size which is a great thing as the world would be a boring place if we did! In this case it is easy to grade between sizes. We have a tutorial on how to do this here.

Basically, using the Adobe layers feature for this example lets say you are sewing the Nikau dress , you would print size layers 12 and 14 and then, using a highlighter pen, trace off the size 12 top and cross over to the size 14 hip - making a smooth line from just above the size 12 waist out to the size 14 hip.

People of moderate weight are also at greater risk of developing these conditions if they have an increased waist circumference, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute NHLBI.

To calculate BMI, measure weight in kilograms and height in meters squared this is your height in meters times itself. Then, take these numbers and divide weight by square height.

Using an online calculator tool is an easy way to determine BMI. BMI does not distinguish between weight carried as fat or muscle or the distribution of fat on the body. For example, athletes may have a high BMI but may not be at higher risk of certain health conditions.

Older adults may have a lower BMI due to low muscle mass, yet they may be at higher risk of heart disease and other illnesses. Having a larger waistline indicates that a person has excess abdominal fat. Abdominal fat of the visceral fat type is different from fat that accumulates on the thighs, as visceral fat is located inside your abdominal cavity.

When fat cells in visceral fat break down, they release free fatty acids and other substances into the portal vein. The portal vein brings blood from the intestines to the liver. These substances cause a state of toxicity that affects the pancreas and reduces its ability to produce the hormone insulin.

Insulin is needed for cells to be able to take up glucose in the body. A study in concluded that waist circumference and WHtR are better predictors of the risk of type 2 diabetes than BMI in both sexes, but particularly for women. The American Heart Association suggest that waistline size especially in relation to hip size predicts heart attacks better than BMI.

This is especially true for apple-shaped women, who face a higher heart attack risk than apple-shaped men. A population-based cohort study notes that waist circumference is an important predictor of several types of cancers in men, including colorectal cancer and gastroesophageal cancer.

A study in Stroke notes that indicators of abdominal fat distribution, especially WHtR, have a greater association with stroke risk in both men and women than BMI. A review of studies reported that people with a larger waistline might have a shorter life expectancy than people with a normal-sized waist.

The researchers accounted for other factors, such as age, use of tobacco, and alcohol, and found that they did not significantly influence the results. According to a study , larger waist circumference increases inflammation in the body in some people.

In turn, a article in Circulation indicated that inflammation is a contributing factor and increases the risk of several health conditions, including:.

A meta-analysis indicated that genes play a role in determining body-fat distribution, in particular waist-to-hip ratio. Consequently, some individuals are, therefore, more likely to store fat around their middle than on their thighs.

While individuals may not be able to change their basic body shape, it is still possible to reduce the amount of fat stored on the waistline. According to Harvard Health , visceral abdominal fat is less common among those in Mediterranean countries.

In contrast, Native Americans, Pima Indians, Hispanics, and those living in India and South Asia are more likely to have abdominal obesity.

Black men and white women typically have less visceral abdominal fat than white men and black women. Sedentary people tend to have more abdominal fat than those who are more active throughout the day. The Centers for Disease Prevention and Control CDC cite activities such as watching television and playing video games as having positive associations with increased abdominal fat and obesity among both men and women.

Many of these diseases can be prevented by having a healthy weight and a healthy lifestyle. This includes eating a well-balanced diet and doing regular physical activity.

These benefits can be a lower your risk of getting heart disease or type 2 diabetes. ARE YOU AT RISK? Use the Risk Checker to find out. Probably the most successful way for weight loss is to make a change to your lifestyle.

Try to eat food that is healthier and do more physical activity like exercise. It will still result in important health improvements. Some people may need a more intensive approach. This can mean having a very low energy diet or taking weight loss medicine.

Some people may need bariatric surgery. This is especially likely in those who are obese or have other risk factors. Waist circumference and BMI are important indicators of risk. However, many other factors also contribute to disease.

Remember, increased physical activity and improved diet will help reduce your risk of disease. You may also have health benefits that are not directly related to weight loss.

Learn more here about the development and quality assurance of healthdirect content. Read more on Heart Foundation website. Together, body mass index BMI and waist size can help work out whether your weight is within the healthy range and whether you are at risk of some chronic conditions.

Find out what each means and how to use them. Read more on Department of Health and Aged Care website. Find out how much weight you should expect to gain at each stage of pregnancy, based on your BMI, and tips on what to eat and how to exercise while pregnant.

Read more on Queensland Health website. Obesity is a major issue in our society, but exercise must be carefully managed. Find out how here. Read more on Exercise and Sports Science Australia ESSA website.

Read more on Better Health Channel website. Duromine is a weight loss medicine containing phentermine. It is used in conjunction with diet and exercise in people who are obese.

Read more on myVMC — Virtual Medical Centre website. As your baby grows, you will gain weight. How much you gain depends on your weight before pregnancy.