Android or "apple-shaped" obese people are more vulnerable to
disease than those who are gynoid or "pear-shaped. People
with high waist-to-hip ratios are "apples", while people with lower waist to hip
ratios are "pears". |
To evaluate your risk of developing disease based on your fat distribution,
determine your waist-to-hip ratio as follows:
1. Measure your waist at the navel, then your hips at the
greatest circumference around the buttocks.
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| 2. Divide the waist measurement by the hip size. This is your
waist-to-hip ratio. |
A waist-to-hip ratio greater than 1.0 for men and 0.8 for women indicates an
increased cardiac risk. This means that, ideally, the circumference of a man's waist
shouldn't exceed that of his hips; a woman's waist should measure no more than 80
percent of her hips.
For example, a woman who has a waist measurement of 28 inches and a hip measurement of
38 inches has a waist-to-hip ratio of 28 divided by 38 or 0.74. Since this is less
than 0.8, it is a healthy waist-to-hip ratio. |
