Waist Circumference

Waist circumference is another way to determine if you are carring around too much fat. Determine your waist circumference by placing a measuring tape snugly around your waist. It is a good indicator of your abdominal fat It is generall considered that you waste should be .9 times that of your hips for men and .7 for womem. A waist measurement of over 40 inches in men and over 35 inches in women (in the US) is considered obese and puts you at risk for developing heart disease and other diseases. So, if you want an easy way that does not involve a lot of math, just see if your waist circumference is above the percentages stated above. If you waist circumference is equal to or above your hip circumference, then you definately need to lose some weight.

For Men

Just take your measurement of your hips and move the decimal point to the left. This will tell you for a man how much smaller your waist should be. So if your hip measurement is 40 inches, then your waist should be 36 or less - 40-4=36. A waist circumference of 40 inches is considered obese for men.

For Women

Just take your measurement of your hips and move the decimal point to the left. Multiply this by 3.This will tell you how much smaller your waist should be than your hips. Subtract this from your hip measurement. So if your hip measurement is 40 inches, then your waist should be 28 or less - 40-12=28. A waist circumference of 35 inches is considered obese for women.

Ideally men should have a waist to hip ratio of 0.95 and below; women should have a waist to hip ratio of 0.8 and below. Ratios above 0.8 for women and 1.0 for men are associated with obesity and are linked to greater risk for developing heart disease and diabetes. If you want to improve your waist to hip ratio, you need to exercise and diet to lose the excess weight. Doing so will reduce your chances of developing heart disease and diabetes.