According to research, it is one’s waist circumference that can indicate obesity, predict disease risk, and ascertain overall health status. Also, it is a good estimate of visceral fat, the dangerous internal fat that coats the organs.
A large waist circumference is a red flag for excessive abdominal fat, which is associated with obesity-related conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood pressure, and coronary artery disease.
Waist circumference is a good measure of fat around your middle. This type of fat builds up around your organs, and is linked to high blood fat levels, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio are effective screening tools used to assess the risk of developing potential diseases, which can reduce your quality of life and life expectancy.
Ideally, your waist measurement should be less than half of your height. For instance, if you’re 5 foot 6 inches or 66 inches, your waist circumference should be less than 33 inches.
According to the American Heart Association & National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, abdominal obesity can be diagnosed when the waist circumference measures more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women.