Ethnicity and sexĪccording to Harvard Health, visceral abdominal fat is less common among those in Mediterranean countries. 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. Genetics may help explain why some families are more likely to be “apple-shaped,” while others are more likely to be “pear-shaped.” Consequently, some individuals are, therefore, more likely to store fat around their middle than on their thighs. These include: GeneticsĪ 2019 meta-analysis indicated that genes play a role in determining body-fat distribution, in particular waist-to-hip ratio. Several factors influence a person’s waist size.

In turn, a 2015 article in Circulation indicated that inflammation is a contributing factor and increases the risk of several health conditions, including: InflammationĪccording to a 2017 study, larger waist circumference increases inflammation in the body in some people. The researchers accounted for other factors, such as age, use of tobacco, and alcohol, and found that they did not significantly influence the results. MortalityĪ 2015 review of studies reported that people with a larger waistline might have a shorter life expectancy than people with a normal-sized waist. StrokeĪ study in Strokenotes that indicators of abdominal fat distribution, especially WHtR, have a greater association with stroke risk in both men and women than BMI. CancerĪ 2018 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. This is especially true for apple-shaped women, who face a higher heart attack risk than apple-shaped men. The American Heart Association suggest that waistline size (especially in relation to hip size) predicts heart attacks better than BMI. 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).Ī person’s waistline may predict a number of things about their health: Type 2 diabetes mellitusĪ study in 2015 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. Individuals who have either overweight or obesity are at higher risk of developing conditions such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Then, divide the waist circumference by height, and multiply by 100. To calculate WHtR, measure the waist circumference and height in inches. Waist-to-height ratioĪ person’s WHtR measures the distribution of body fat.Ī 2018 observational study indicated that waist circumference and WHtR could be good indicators of high blood pressure (hypertension) risk.Īnother study in 2016 concluded that WHtR is more effective than BMI and waist circumference at identifying those at ‘early health risk’ of central obesity-related illnesses when using a boundary value of WHtR of 0.5, or 50%.Ī person is at higher risk of developing central obesity-related illness if they have a WHtR of over 50%.

While the waistline is a key measure of a person’s overall health risk, a person should also consider their waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and body mass index (BMI).

Bmi and waist calculator for women