According to guidelines from the UK Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), people with a BMI below 35 (30-39.9 are classified as obese) should monitor their belly fat. Belly fat is associated with a higher risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke. BMI is calculated as weight divided by the square of height, to assess the nutritional status of adults.
In addition to calculating BMI, scientists also have another way to calculate the waist-to-height ratio. This index makes it possible for people to assess health risks more effectively.
Waist size greatly affects health. (Illustration)
According to Nice, if your waist-to-height ratio is 0.4-0.49, you are not at risk for health problems. A ratio of 0.5-0.59 represents increased risk, while a ratio above 0.6 means highest risk.
For example, if you are 178cm tall, your waist circumference should be less than 89cm, whether male or female.
To measure your waist accurately, you should find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips, and wrap the tape measure around that part. Note, should exhale naturally before measuring. In addition, the waist-to-height ratio was not accurate for people with a BMI over 35 (obese groups 2 and 3), children under 2 years of age, or pregnant women.
Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, an obesity specialist in the US, told Insider that the waist-to-height ratio is one of the few markers that approximate the extent of belly fat.
Waist circumference should not be more than half of height measurement. (Illustration)
Before that, many British researchers also looked at the medical records of 300,000 people of various genders, races… over about 20 years and found that waist circumference is very important in calculating the amount of fat concentrated around internal organs, is the cause of cardiovascular diseases, strokes… The results of studies show that each extra cm in waist circumference means your life expectancy is reduced by several months. If your waist circumference is 60% of your height, your life expectancy will be shortened by 1.7 years.
How to keep the ideal waist?
To have a small waistline, it’s paramount to reduce your calorie intake for the day. Should increase fiber intake, increase physical activity such as walking, climbing stairs, drink enough filtered water instead of carbonated drinks, get enough sleep…
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