Health Issues
Measuring Waist Circumference
Measuring the waist circumference can tell a person how much fat is located around their abdomen. Several studies have linked extra fat around the waist to an increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome, hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidaemia (high blood cholesterol), and type 2 diabetes.(2,3,4,5) This increases the risk for heart disease and stroke.
Measuring your waist circumference and calculating body mass index are two ways to spot your risk for developing health problems.
How to Properly Measure Your Waist
Items needed: measuring tape, pen or felt marker, mirror
Step 1-Remove any clothing, belts or accessories that may interfere with the measurement
Step 2- Using your hands and the tips of your fingers find the top of your hipbones. Either by moving down the sides of your body along the same line as your underarms or by finding the hip bones at the front of the body and moving upwards and back towards the sides of your body.
Step 3-Mark these areas with a pen or felt marker.
Step 4-Line up the measuring tape with the previously marked points on your hipbones. (Make sure the tape is parallel and not twisted).
Step 5- Take 2 normal breaths, and on the second breath exhale out; tighten the tape around your waist Remember: The tape should fit comfortably around the waist without digging into the skin.
Step 6-Breathing normally, take the reading on the measuring tape.(3)
Be sure to visit: www.heartandstroke.ca/healthywaists to order one free measuring tape.
Guidelines for Waist Circumference
The Heart and Stroke Foundation has set guidelines as to what is appropriate for your gender and ethnicity. There are different cut off points for waist circumference between men and women. In women the cut off point is lower than in men; because women are at a higher risk for health problems than men at the same waist circumference.(3,7,8)
If you are close to or above the following cutoffs for your gender and ethnicity, you are at increased risk for developing health problems.
European/ Caucasion, Sub-Saharan Africans, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
-male 102 cm (40 in.) / female 88cm (35 in.)
South Asian, Malaysian, Asian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Ethnic South and Central Americans
-male 90 cm (35 in.) / female 80 cm (32 in.)
The waist circumference measurements and BMI do not apply to pregnant or breastfeeding women or people under the age of 18 or over the age of 65.
Measuring the waist circumference can tell a person how much fat is located around their abdomen. Several studies have linked extra fat around the waist to an increased risk for developing metabolic syndrome, hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidaemia (high blood cholesterol), and type 2 diabetes.(2,3,4,5) This increases the risk for heart disease and stroke.
Measuring your waist circumference and calculating body mass index are two ways to spot your risk for developing health problems.
How to Properly Measure Your Waist
Items needed: measuring tape, pen or felt marker, mirror
Step 1-Remove any clothing, belts or accessories that may interfere with the measurement
Step 2- Using your hands and the tips of your fingers find the top of your hipbones. Either by moving down the sides of your body along the same line as your underarms or by finding the hip bones at the front of the body and moving upwards and back towards the sides of your body.
Step 3-Mark these areas with a pen or felt marker.
Step 4-Line up the measuring tape with the previously marked points on your hipbones. (Make sure the tape is parallel and not twisted).
Step 5- Take 2 normal breaths, and on the second breath exhale out; tighten the tape around your waist Remember: The tape should fit comfortably around the waist without digging into the skin.
Step 6-Breathing normally, take the reading on the measuring tape.(3)
Be sure to visit: www.heartandstroke.ca/healthywaists to order one free measuring tape.
Guidelines for Waist Circumference
The Heart and Stroke Foundation has set guidelines as to what is appropriate for your gender and ethnicity. There are different cut off points for waist circumference between men and women. In women the cut off point is lower than in men; because women are at a higher risk for health problems than men at the same waist circumference.(3,7,8)
If you are close to or above the following cutoffs for your gender and ethnicity, you are at increased risk for developing health problems.
European/ Caucasion, Sub-Saharan Africans, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle Eastern
-male 102 cm (40 in.) / female 88cm (35 in.)
South Asian, Malaysian, Asian, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Ethnic South and Central Americans
-male 90 cm (35 in.) / female 80 cm (32 in.)
The waist circumference measurements and BMI do not apply to pregnant or breastfeeding women or people under the age of 18 or over the age of 65.
Heart and Stroke Foundation (2010). Retrieved from: http://www.heartandstroke.sk.ca/site/c.inKMILNlEmG/b.4043499/k.88BC/ Healthy_Waists.htm
If you are a man with a waist circumference over 102cm (40 in) or a woman with a waist circumference over 88 cm (35 in) then you are at an increased risk of developing health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of risk factors that increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease. Abdominal obesity is strongly linked with metabolic syndrome.(4)
Risk Factors
•Waist circumference greater than 102 cm (40 inches) for men, greater than 88 cm (35 inches) for women.
•High levels of triglycerides (blood fats) (over 1.7mmol/L).
•Low levels of HDL or healthy cholesterol (less than 1.0 mmol/L for men, and less than 1.2 mmol/L for women).
•High blood pressure (130/85 mmHg or greater).(4,7,9)
•Fasting blood sugar that is greater than or equal to 6.1 mmol/L.
Body Mass Index
Body mass index or BMI is used to calculate the level of health risk associated with being underweight or over weight. It does not measure the amount of body fat.(1,7)
Calculating BMI
Calculating body mass index (BMI) involves taking your weight in kilograms (kg)/ and dividing it by your height in meters squared.(9)
An online BMI calculator is available through the Health Canada website at: www.hc-sc.gc.ca
9 Whitney E., Rolfes S.R. (2005). Understanding Nutrition (10th ed.). Wadsworth, Thomson
If you are a man with a waist circumference over 102cm (40 in) or a woman with a waist circumference over 88 cm (35 in) then you are at an increased risk of developing health problems such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
Metabolic Syndrome
Metabolic syndrome is a combination of risk factors that increases a person’s risk of developing heart disease. Abdominal obesity is strongly linked with metabolic syndrome.(4)
Risk Factors
•Waist circumference greater than 102 cm (40 inches) for men, greater than 88 cm (35 inches) for women.
•High levels of triglycerides (blood fats) (over 1.7mmol/L).
•Low levels of HDL or healthy cholesterol (less than 1.0 mmol/L for men, and less than 1.2 mmol/L for women).
•High blood pressure (130/85 mmHg or greater).(4,7,9)
•Fasting blood sugar that is greater than or equal to 6.1 mmol/L.
Body Mass Index
Body mass index or BMI is used to calculate the level of health risk associated with being underweight or over weight. It does not measure the amount of body fat.(1,7)
Calculating BMI
Calculating body mass index (BMI) involves taking your weight in kilograms (kg)/ and dividing it by your height in meters squared.(9)
An online BMI calculator is available through the Health Canada website at: www.hc-sc.gc.ca
| BMI Value | Category | Level of Health Risk for Heart Disease |
| Under 18.5 | Underweight | Increased Risk |
| 18.5 - 24.9 | Normal weight | Least Risk |
| 25.0 - 29.9 | Overweight | Increased risk |
| 30 and over | Obese | High risk |
BMI is not appropriate to use with pregnant or lactating women, children under the age of 18, or adults over the age of 65. Also people with dense muscle mass may have a high BMI score, but little body fat (since muscle weighs more than fat).(7)
Things to Keep in Mind
-A healthy waist circumference should be under 102cm (40 in) for men or 88 cm (35 in) for women.
-Having a waist circumference over the recommended cut off point increases risk for developing high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
-Extra fat around the waist is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
-A healthy BMI is between 18.5-24.9 and is associated with having the lowest risk for heart disease.
Created by Mia Kubrak for The Women’s Midlife Health Program
Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan
January 2010
Reference
1 Canadian Medical Association. (2005). Canadian guidelines for body weight classification in adults: Application in clinical practice to screen for overweight and obesity and to assess disease risk Canadian Medical Association Journal, 172 (8), p. 995-998.
2 Janssen, I., Katzmarzyk, Ross, R.(2004). Waist circumference and not body mass index explains obesity related health risk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79, p. 378-384.
3 Heart and Stroke Foundation (2009). Healthy Waists. Retrieved January 18, 2010 from http://www.heartandstroke.sk.ca/site/c.inKMILNlEmG/b.4043499/k.88BC/ Healthy_Waists.htm?src=home
4 Grundy, S.M. (2004). Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 89(6), p.2595–2600.
5 Koster, A,, Leitzmann, M.F., Schatzkin, A., Mouw, T., Adams, K.F., Hollenbeck, A.R., Harris, T.B. (2008). Waist circumference and mortality. American Journal of Epidemiology, 167, p.1465–75.
6 Heart and Stroke Foundation (2010). Waist not, weight not. Retrieved January 18, 2010 from http://www.heartandstroke.sk.ca/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=inKM ILNlEmG&b=4286059&ct=7137769
7 Health Canada. (2003). Canadian Guidelines for Body Weight Classification in Adults. Retrieved January 20, 2010 from www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids/ guide-ld-adult/index-eng.php
8 Janssen, I., Heymsfield,S.B., Allison, D.B., Kotler, D.P., Ross, R. (2002). Body mass index and waist circumference independently contribute to the prediction of nonab- dominal, abdominal subcutaneous, and visceral fat. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 75, p. 683-688.
Things to Keep in Mind
-A healthy waist circumference should be under 102cm (40 in) for men or 88 cm (35 in) for women.
-Having a waist circumference over the recommended cut off point increases risk for developing high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.
-Extra fat around the waist is a risk factor for metabolic syndrome.
-A healthy BMI is between 18.5-24.9 and is associated with having the lowest risk for heart disease.
Created by Mia Kubrak for The Women’s Midlife Health Program
Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan
January 2010
Reference
1 Canadian Medical Association. (2005). Canadian guidelines for body weight classification in adults: Application in clinical practice to screen for overweight and obesity and to assess disease risk Canadian Medical Association Journal, 172 (8), p. 995-998.
2 Janssen, I., Katzmarzyk, Ross, R.(2004). Waist circumference and not body mass index explains obesity related health risk. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 79, p. 378-384.
3 Heart and Stroke Foundation (2009). Healthy Waists. Retrieved January 18, 2010 from http://www.heartandstroke.sk.ca/site/c.inKMILNlEmG/b.4043499/k.88BC/ Healthy_Waists.htm?src=home
4 Grundy, S.M. (2004). Obesity, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 89(6), p.2595–2600.
5 Koster, A,, Leitzmann, M.F., Schatzkin, A., Mouw, T., Adams, K.F., Hollenbeck, A.R., Harris, T.B. (2008). Waist circumference and mortality. American Journal of Epidemiology, 167, p.1465–75.
6 Heart and Stroke Foundation (2010). Waist not, weight not. Retrieved January 18, 2010 from http://www.heartandstroke.sk.ca/site/apps/nlnet/content2.aspx?c=inKM ILNlEmG&b=4286059&ct=7137769
7 Health Canada. (2003). Canadian Guidelines for Body Weight Classification in Adults. Retrieved January 20, 2010 from www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/weights-poids/ guide-ld-adult/index-eng.php
8 Janssen, I., Heymsfield,S.B., Allison, D.B., Kotler, D.P., Ross, R. (2002). Body mass index and waist circumference independently contribute to the prediction of nonab- dominal, abdominal subcutaneous, and visceral fat. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 75, p. 683-688.
9 Whitney E., Rolfes S.R. (2005). Understanding Nutrition (10th ed.). Wadsworth, Thomson
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