How to measure the circumference of the waist

Although the calculation of the BMI It has been used for decades by most doctors, nutritionists and dieticians with the aim of discovering whether or not the person had an excess of weight based on their Body Mass Index, an increasing number of experts use a new calculation: the measurement of circumference of the waist.

As its name suggests, the circumference of the waist is characterized by being an index that measures the concentration of fat in the abdominal area. This translates into something even easier to understand: it is a simple and very useful indicator to know our own cardiovascular health, and above all, whether or not we are at risk of suffering from cardiometabolic pathology.

For this we must especially pay attention to the differences in the location of localized fat, depending on whether you suffer from gynoid or android obesity. It is an adequate index for measuring the concentration of abdominal fat.

The measurement of waist circumference

To measure your waist circumference you only need a tape measure. To do this, you must stand naked, your feet together and in front of a mirror (this way you will control that the measurement is done correctly).

Relax the abdomen, and surround your waist with the tape measure, at the level of the navel and without pressing. Write down the figure. Whenever you want to measure your waist again you should do it at the same time.

Depending on the sex of the person, the data are interpreted in different ways. For example:

Women: there is a risk of suffering associated diseases from 82 centimeters. If it exceeds 88 centimeters, the risk is very high.
mens: there is a risk of suffering associated diseases from 94 centimeters. If the 102 centimeters are exceeded, the risk is very high.

As we can see, this measurement is really very simple and useful, which completes both the values provided by the BMI calculator and the waist / hip perimeter.

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