Geschatte leestijd: 2 minutenIn one of our previous articles, we discussed the Body Mass Index, also known as BMI. The BMI expresses weight in terms of body weight, indicating a certain value. This value can provide insight into your health. According to the index, individuals with a high BMI may suffer from overweight, while those with a low BMI may be at risk of underweight. However, one aspect that the Body Mass Index overlooks is how body fat is distributed.
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Some individuals may have a significant amount of fat around their abdomen, while others may have a large amount of fat on the buttocks or legs. To determine if the amount of fat around your abdomen poses health risks, waist circumference is a better measure. After all, waist circumference provides a measure of the amount of fat located around your abdomen.
Measuring Waist Circumference
Measuring waist circumference is very simple. Essentially, all you need is a measuring tape. Ensure that it passes over your navel during the measurement. This way, the measurement is almost always accurate. If you are holding the measuring tape with one hand, ensure that it crosses at the front so you can read the measurement.
By measuring your waist circumference, you can determine how much fat you have around your abdomen. If you’ve just started exercising, this method allows you to track progress and see if the fat around your abdomen decreases. This, combined with your weight and BMI, can guide you in the right direction. If you want to accurately measure your progress and your exact body fat percentage, consider using a skinfold caliper.
If you want to measure your body fat percentage without using complicated tables, there are body fat percentage meters that work similarly to skinfold measurements, but perform the calculation for you.
Waist Circumference Table
You can interpret the result of your measurement using the table below. Note that this table is applicable to adults aged between 18 and 70.
If your waist circumference as a man is less than 79 centimeters, it indicates underweight. For women, a waist circumference less than 68 centimeters indicates underweight. Additionally, the BMI should be less than 18.5.
Abdominal Fat and Health
One of the main reasons why measuring waist circumference is important is its direct relationship with health. The most well-known risks of overweight include heart disease and diabetes. Let’s take a closer look at abdominal fat.
There are 2 types of abdominal fat. First, there is subcutaneous fat, which lies directly under your skin. This is the fat that accumulates when you’re not paying attention to your diet or not engaging in enough physical activity. A common phenomenon caused by this subcutaneous fat is love handles. Your body stores this fat as an energy reserve, which can be tapped into during periods of low fuel.
The second type is visceral fat. This fat is not visible from the outside but is equally harmful. Visceral fat surrounds your vital organs and can impede their function. Additionally, it can cause inflammation in your body.
So, not only does a healthy amount of abdominal fat benefit your appearance (as some abdominal fat is necessary for several vital functions of the body), but it also benefits your internal health.
