Waist circumference: the measurements you need to know to monitor your figure and your health

Pull up his t-shirt, take a tape measure and wrap it around his belly. These are the gestures that we perform when we want to measure our waist circumference, which corresponds to the hollowest part of the abdomen, located above or below the navel. This measurement makes it possible in particular to select clothes adapted to our silhouette. But that's not all: it can also give indications about our health because it can identify overweight or obesity.

Waist circumference, an indicator used in addition to BMI

To determine whether one is overweight or suffering from obesity, it is not enough to weigh oneself and know one's weight. Other indicators are also useful. Among them is the body mass index (BMI), which is used as a measure of excess weight, as indicated by the Haute Autorité de Santé (HAS). To calculate it and estimate a person's body fat, divide their weight by the square of their height.

"However, we must remain cautious when reading this table: for the same BMI, body composition and distribution of adipose tissue can indeed vary from one individual to another with variable risks of complications. In addition, some individuals such as high-level athletes can have a high BMI without having excess body fat", can we read on the Inserm website.

Another marker to take into account: the waist circumference. According to the Health Insurance, this measure makes it possible to assess the excess fat in the abdomen. "Excess abdominal fat is associated, independently of BMI, with the development of metabolic and vascular complications of obesity", specifies the HAS.

Waist circumference: what are the recommended measurements?

In France, abdominal obesity is defined by a waist circumference greater than or equal to 80 cm in women and 94 cm in men, according to the HAS. According to Health Insurance, "it is then associated with the development of metabolic complications (such as diabetes, increased cholesterol and / or triglycerides in the blood) and increased cardiovascular risk." Clearly, it is recommended to have a waist circumference of less than 80 cm for a woman. For a man, it is advisable to have a waist circumference of less than 94 cm.

How to measure your waistline?

To measure your waistline correctly, specific conditions must be met. The HAS and the Health Insurance recommend doing it directly on the skin. It is therefore preferable not to wear any clothes while measuring your height. If this is not possible, it is better to do it on light clothes.

Both institutions advise standing with your feet together with your arms relaxed on either side of your body. We measure our waistline at the end of a normal expiration. For this, we provide ourselves with a tape measure, which we place horizontally “halfway between the lower part of the last rib and the highest part of the pelvic bone.”

This seamstress meter is then wrapped around her waist. It is recommended to ensure that the tape measure is horizontal in the back and on the stomach. It is then necessary to read "the measurement to the tenth of a centimeter at the level of the ribbon" and to note the values, details the HAS.

Waist circumference: how to lose abdominal fat?

To reduce abdominal fat, it is recommended to modify your lifestyle. To do this, you should change your eating habits, reduce your caloric intake and adopt a balanced and varied diet. "Eating healthy products in reasonable quantities and drinking plenty of water are the golden rules for preventing obesity. Personalized dietary support can be beneficial", can we read on the website of the La Tour hospital, located in the canton of Geneva (Switzerland).

Another advice: move as often as possible. It is therefore advisable to practice regular physical activity to eliminate the fat located at the level of the abdominal belt. According to the La Tour hospital, you should ideally practice at least 150 minutes of moderate activity per week (or 75 minutes of intense activity). A good night's sleep, the duration of which is estimated between 7 and 8 hours, also promotes the reduction of abdominal fat.

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