Belly Fat the Waist to Hip Ratio
Some recent studies have shown that excess fat located in the stomach (belly fat) or abdomen area could likely be a significant symptom of future potential problematic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer, dementia and more. Yes, fat located in other areas of the body certainly contributes to poor health but when it resides in the abdomen, there's more cause for concern.
Therefore, these different measurements help a person discover whether they need to start working to reduce fat. Those ratios and measurements include the body mass index, waist circumference and the waist to hip ratio. Recent studies have shown that the waist to hip ratio has possibly more significance than the other two. So measuring waist and hip circumference should be done first. However, all should be looked at collectively.
So let's look at the waist to hip ratio for starters. This calculation happens to be a very easy one to calculate because it basically is your waist circumference divided by your hips circumference. This only takes a few minutes to measure and calculate so everyone should take part if possible. Your health depends upon it.
How to Measure Your Waist to Hip Ratio
You'll need some sewing measuring tape or some type of flexible material that could be wrapped around your body. Sewing measuring tape will be the best but you could use a flexible material like a belt or sturdy string along with the regular measuring tape used for household projects.Take that sewing measuring tape to wrap it around your stomach area at the narrowest part of your waistline. Most will find that the narrowest part will be either at the bellybutton level or just above that. Try doing it both ways to get the smallest circumference measurement. Write down your waist measurement as you see it on the measuring tape.
If you don't have this sewing measuring tape and will be using a belt or other flexible material, use that flexible material by wrapping it around your waist in the exact same way. Mark or pinch the length of your waist circumference on the flexible material and place it on top of your household measuring tape to discover the circumference in inches. Write that waist circumference down.
You will then do the exact same thing except around your hips. You want to find the widest level or the largest circumference around your hips which for most people will be around the midpoint of the butt level. Write down this hips circumference measurement in inches.
Note: Don't fool yourself into cheating when you are measuring your body. Simply do this measurement in secrecy if you have to. Think about it, you are doing this measurement for yourself. Trying to fool yourself by measuring your waist in an area that would bring an incorrect waist to hip ratio will not help you. Be real with yourself and get the right measurements so you can clearly see where you stand.
Calculate Your Waist to Hip Ratio
Use this waist to hip ratio calculator or do it manually through the Waist to Hip Ratio formula by dividing your hip measurement into your waist measurement. In other words, using a calculator, it will be your waist measurement divided by the hip measurement. For example, if your a man with your waist circumference measurement equal to 32 inches and your hip circumference measurement equal to 38 inches then you would take 30 to divided by 38. This would give a waist to hip ratio of 0.84 which will be a healthy waist to hip ratio for a man.
For a woman, if you calculate your ratio as being over 0.8, you will be seen as having a better chance to develop certain complications like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, dementia, and more.
For a man, you will be at risk for these same complications if your ratio is over 0.9.
Three important measurements need to be looked at. Those are, the body mass index, waste circumference and the waist to hip ratio. However, as talked about before, some of the latest studies have shown that the waist to hip ratio to be of the most significance for showing a possible likelihood for acquiring serious diseases like diabetes. Do yourself and loved ones a favor, find out what your waist to hip ratio is by using this waist to hip ratio calculator