A larger waist circumference is often caused by intra-abdominal visceral fat. Visceral fat is fat that develops between and around internal organs. This type of fat differs from "regular" fat that sits just beneath the skin and can be pinched.
"Elevated waist circumference or waistline measurement is an indication of abdominal obesity and increased risk for heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidemia (elevation of blood cholesterol, triglycerides or both) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease."
Most people think their natural waist is the mid-point of their torso, which isn't true. If you have a high waist, your “natural waist” will be closer to your breast. If you have a low waist your “natural” waist will be closer to your hip.
To have your best chance at maintaining good health, you should aim for: Men should have a waist circumference of 40 inches or less. Women should have a waist circumference of 35 inches or less.
Never mind perfectly sculpted cheekbones, enviably arched brows or a pert derriere, a recent study has discovered the most attractive female attribute is a cinched-in waist: one that measures a fraction under 26½ in (the equivalent of a size eight).
Ideally, your waist measurement should be less than half of your height. (So if you're 5 foot 6, or 66 inches, your waist circumference should be less than 33 inches.)
For example, low waisted pants are also called low rise pants and are designed to sit on your hips; high waisted pants are designed to sit higher than your belly button; waisted pants are designed to sit at your waistline.
For your best health, your waist should be less than 40 inches around for men, and less than 35 inches for women, although it may vary depending on race or ethnicity. If it's larger than that, you may want to talk with your doctor about what your next steps are, including losing weight.
Waist Circumference
If most of your fat is around your waist rather than at your hips, you're at a higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This risk goes up with a waist size that is greater than 35 inches for women or greater than 40 inches for men.
Hourglass body shape
You have a well-defined waist, and a nice butt and your body is well-proportioned everywhere. The hourglass-shaped women have a well-balanced body shape that can easily rock the high-waisted jeans.
It depends. Some aspects of shape and size are more closely tied to genes than others, and the location of your fat makes a difference in your health.
How to measure waist circumference: Place a tape measure around your body at the top of your hip bone. This is usually at the level of your belly button.
Fold down a 5/8 inch flap along the new waist area of the jeans (along the area you just cut) and press the flap down. Try on the jeans. Take in or let out the side seams if the fit at the hip needs adjustment by ripping out the side-seam stitches and resewing the seams to allow more or less width for your hips.
The waistband of low-rise pants rests at the hip bones, mid-rise between the navel and hip, and high rise at the natural waistline (close to the belly button or directly on it). To remember this easily, keep in mind the two reference points of hips (low rise) vs. belly button (high rise).
The average waist circumference for women aged 18 and over in 2017–18 was 88 cm (ABS 2018). A high-risk waist circumference is more common in older women. In 2017–18 (ABS 2019): around 4 in 5 women aged 75 and over (84%) had a high risk waist circumference.
What should your waist measurement be? For men, a waist circumference below 94cm (37in) is 'low risk', 94–102cm (37-40in) is 'high risk' and more than 102cm (40in) is 'very high'. For women, below 80cm (31.5in) is low risk, 80–88cm (31.5-34.6in) is high risk and more than 88cm (34.6in) is very high.
How quickly will you lose weight? The volunteers reduced their waist sizes by an average of 1 inch for every 4lb (1.81kg) they lost. So if you lose 1lb (0.45kg) a week you could hope to reduce your waistline by an inch after four weeks.
Even though high-waisted pants are more forgiving than they used to be, they're not universally flattering by any means. They work with a variety of body types, and you don't have to be a supermodel to wear them, but it can be a tightrope act trying to find the right style.
As a point of reference the natural waist is located at the thinnest point of the dancer between the chest and hip and the dropped waist is at the top of the hip bone. Measurements at hips are taken at the widest point of the hip and bum.
In terms of hiding belly fat, high-waisted jeans could become your new best friend. Simply put, high-rise jeans help you hide belly fat by covering and smoothing the area. Wide Leg: In response to the skinny jeans phenomenon, wide-leg styles have become more popular as a way to offer something different.
A waist measurement of more than half of a person's height, is an indication of greater risk. Young people should be encouraged to seek advice about weight management, and sensitively supported to lower their risk of developing these conditions, and to improve overall health and wellbeing.”
In general, keep waist circumference to less than half your height. For example, for a 6-foot man (72 inches), a healthy waist size would be anything less than 36 inches. For a 5-foot-2 woman (62 inches), a healthy waist size would be anything less than 31 inches.