The FastDay Forum

Seriously worried about this waist/hip ratio thing.

I still have 9/10 lbs to lose to get to my ten year ago pre wedding weight
I'm 5.4 and have 38 inch hips with a 35 inch waist
I'm 0.9units away from a normal BMI (max range of 10.7lb) but it seems for every inch I loose off my waist I lose an inch off my hips too. I have ALWAYS been big waisted with small hips even as a very slim teenager, and my mums the same.
It's possible I could get to a 32 inch waist which is apparently my waist/hip ratio but I know I'm unlikely to get much less as my hips will carry on shrinking with me. I can't lose of the waist without Leo sing of hips also therefore my ratio will never change.

I don't know wether to worry or not?
Surely at a normal bmi you can't be at too much risk anyway?

Any ideas anyone. Thank you

[carorees]

Interesting question. I would imagine that if you are a healthy weight then you are at a low risk of cardiovascular problems. The best way of telling is to get your cholesterol etc checked.

I think if your waist is half your height or less (which is the ratio Dr M talked about) then your hip size is not so important.

I thought waist:hip ratio was mainly an aesthetic thing.

The NHS say :-

Waist size and risk of health problems

You have a higher risk of health problems if your waist size is:
more than 94cm (37 inches), if you’re a man
more than 80cm (31.5 inches), if you’re a woman

Your risk of health problems is even higher if your waist size is:
more than 102cm (40 inches), if you’re a man
more than 88cm (34.5 inches), if you’re a woman

http://www.nhs.uk/chq/Pages/849.aspx?CategoryID=51

[carorees]

Yes but half height makes more sense. It is clearly ridiculous that a 6'5" man would have the same waist measurement as a 5'8" man!

For the average man or woman the NHS values are about half the height.

Thanks for your replies It seems ridiculous for me to get to a 31.5 inch waist with my straight figure. I think I'd have to loose another 2 stone to achieve it - Making me 8.12!! I think I'd look terrible at such a low weight. I haven't had a waist that small since age 13/14! And I certainly wasn't very overweight until I had my two children and never in my twenties. I've also had two c sections so my muscle tone on the tummy is massively reduced. Though I am doing toning and swimming twice a week. I guess I'll concentrate on BMI and maybe ask a docs advise next time I see one routinely.

Madeyemoodysmum: (great name by the way, our young ones are all HP aficionados) Like all these things I guess the ratio is an attempt to simplify something more complicated and so it may not be appropriate in every case. Asking a doctor would seem sensible.

Actually I started writing something here and then realised that I had misunderstood the discussion because I presumed you were talking about waist:height (WHtR) when actually waist:hip (WHR) is a separate health measure - endorsed by WHO. Another thing to worry about, jeez! Apparently the 'ideal' numbers are 0.7 for a woman and 0.9 for a man.

It isn't something that is tracked here (Moogie is so helpful she would probably add hip size if asked nicely), does it add anything as a useful measure since we already have waist:height?

Turning to waist:height, the report that seems to have kicked off the recent interest in the waist:height ratio was by Dr Margaret Ashwell and can be found on her website here: http://www.ashwell.uk.com/publications.htm. It was aimed at health professionals and concluded that waist:height was a better screening tool than waist circumference and BMI. The same website has a 'Shape Chart' which can be seen below.

On BMI measure I am well within 'healthy' but on this chart I am still in 'consider action'. I take that as a positive incentive (though not the only one) to continue with 5:2!

Dominic Pearapple

Thanks Dominic. A really useful chart. I'm in the take action area but not too far away from ok. Hopefully once ive lost another half stone I can get there.
We are all massive hp fans here, myself and my daughter especially!

That's a really interesting chart Dominic, thanks for posting that.

I get confused as to where my waist technically is though - because that wiki page says a lean person can measure at their narrowest point (and I'm lucky to always have had a very defined waist, even when I was two stone heavier) but according to http://www.bhf.org.uk/bmi/bmi_measurewaist.html you should take the measurement halfway between your bottom rib and your hip bone, which isn't actually at my narrowest bit!

I don't suppose it really matters as I'm not in any risky category, but I do like to log my statistics and see the numbers change!

It is clearly ridiculous that a 6'5" man would have the same waist measurement as a 5'8" man!

In general I would expect the 6'5" man to have a smaller waist to be honest.

The really tall people I've met are all thin and not man mountains. Perhaps there's a genetic link.

Hi shrinkingrose, (I like your avatar!) from Wikipedia I got the impression that the method on the bhf website is the correct one (and the one I am trying to follow), but that most people just measure at the narrowest point, which obviously gives slightly more optimistic results.

Confusingly though, the Ashwell Shape Chart specifically says you should base it on reading your waist at your narrowest point!

I get confused as to where my waist technically is though

Not just you - there are several definitions, as shown in this paper

As well as specifying location, some go as far as defining the elasticity of the tape etc. Personally I could give you practically any number starting with a 3 and possible into the 40s !

I quite like this little visual Weight/Hip ratio calculator from the BBC as a visual tool (they also go by between hip and bottom rib as to where to measure)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/tools/hip_to_waist/hip_to_waist.shtml

Their BMI one is also pretty nifty for playing around with weights and BMI results

http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/tools/bmi_calculator/bmi.shtml

I'm also confused by the term "waist measurement". Should it be the narrowest point or around the tummy button? I've gone for the tummy button one but there is quite a difference. But I have to admit that whatever measurement I use its still too high.....

there is no consensus - half way between the top pelvic bone and the lowest rib on your side, measured horizontally relaxed and exhaled with tension on the tape for example.

I assume the idea is to measure in the gap where only the spine is present, so you're measuring your guts and flab .....

Thanks for posting the chart Dominic. I have always had a straight up and down shape. Even at my thinnest I have never had much of a waist, so the chart is encouraging.
Since I started 5:2 I am now in the ok zone.
I thought I'd need to be about 9 stone before I got my waist measurement down.