Waist measurement: how to reduce it

[Radders]

i've read several articles which state that a waist measurement of 35 or more for a woman puts us at high risk of illnesses including heart problems, type 2 diabetes and cancer. Under 32 inches is seen as healthy. I don't understand why this measurement is absolute: surely a tall person would expect to be further round the waist than a short person?

My BMI is currently in the healthy range, I am just attempting to shed the last half stone, but I know from when I was diagnosed that in order to reduce my waist to below 32 I would have to be underweight. It's now 35 inches and I expect about half an inch will come off if I ever manage to shift this last half stone! I'm taller than average.

How important is this waist measurement thing, and how does one redistribute one's fat away from the danger area? Any ideas?

 

[Robin]

It seems to me to be a very inexact science. I'm very short waisted, so there's not much room between the bottom of my rib cage and the top of my hips, so my waist is never going to be as small as I'd like, there's too much to fit into a small space.
I watched Trust me I'm a Doctor a couple of weeks ago, and they covered losing visceral fat, which is why the waist measurement has taken on such over-importance. They gave three groups different things to do. One reduced calories, so lost weight all over. This group lost most visceral fat. The group that did loads of sit ups didn't lose any visceral fat, but reduced their waist by a couple of inches. Thus showing how farcical the whole thing is. I'm afraid I can't remember what the third group did, but they didn't lose any visceral fat either. The conclusion drawn was that the only thing that's really important is losing weight generally all over.

 

[Northerner]

Interestingly, since stopping drinking alcohol in January my body fat percentage has fallen by 8%, visceral fat has halved, I've lost 21 pounds and 5 inches off my waist (was 35"). Haven't changed anything else about my diet! My BMI is now 21.0 🙂

I suspect the waist thing is similar to the whole BMI thing - a rough guide that can easily be applied, then other measurements taken to refine actual body composition etc.

 

[Radders]

Thanks Robin, that's what I thought, however I could never hope to maintain the weight I would need to be to end up less than 32 inches. I would be downright skinny, as I was when first diagnosed. I still don't understand how it can be the same measurement whatever your build.

I know one of the reasons it's unhealthy is because of insulin resistance, but I don't think I have that as my total daily dose of insulin is quite low. My BP is also good, as is my cholesterol. I just wonder how much this should be bothering me!

 

[trophywench]

Think the third group were the control group and just carried on as before.

Yes it is supposed to show you are well endowed with fat round your organs and you know the genetic predisposition that people from south India have to T2? - well they also have a marked predisposition to tubbiness round the tummy. Having spent a fair bit of time up and down the Soho Road and around there at one time - purely because my husband's business was just off there so I got lots of my grocery and green grocery shopping in the Asian and Indian etc shops - brill for herbs and spices of every description, not just 'curry' ingredients at all! and stuff like nuts, pulses etc and well before eg Tesco sold basmati rice! - you did see shedloads off 'round' people who came from there. (don't want to insult or exclude anyone so not saying nationalities. However - it is recognisable that northern Indians - genetic Siks for instance - ten to be more statuesque and a lot less like a Botticelli cherub in shape!

Soo, I think that, is part of the 'tummy fat' thing. They couldn't really say 'south Indians mustn't be more than 31" round but if you're white - you're probably OK' Actually whatever colour creed or race you are it's not so brilliant esp for a woman wearing Western dress cos it's hard getting clothes to fit you there, without swamping the rest of you. Tell me about it - I've never ever had much of a waist anyway and it's getting a bit silly now so I'll have to cut down ......

 

[Radders]

Soo, I think that, is part of the 'tummy fat' thing. They couldn't really say 'south Indians mustn't be more than 31" round but if you're white - you're probably OK' Actually whatever colour creed or race you are it's not so brilliant esp for a woman wearing Western dress cos it's hard getting clothes to fit you there, without swamping the rest of you. Tell me about it - I've never ever had much of a waist anyway and it's getting a bit silly now so I'll have to cut down ......

Funnily enough, the table I found did have different waist sizes for different countries of origin. I'm not round at all to look at, I just don't go in much at the waist, never have.

 

[trophywench]

Whole thing is silly - they reckon Pete should be about 10 and half stone. They'd literally have to amputate two or 3 limbs to get that low - the last time he weighed that he reckons he was about 13 ! His skeleton size overall - size 12 tootsies and the rest of the body to match but only 5'10" actually prevents him going lower than about 12 and a half stone and staying fit.

 

[trophywench]

My fat is all lower belly and with a short waist, what's a waist? LOL No thunder thighs, and my bony pelvis STILL sticks out at the front, as do all my other angular bones near the surface - eg ankle and wrist bones. Forever clunking them all - Owww.

 

[TheClockworkDodo]

You might find this more helpful than just going by waist measurement alone, Radders - http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/

Have a look at the waist to hip calculator while you're there as well. Apparently women like me who are apple shaped as opposed to pear shaped (tendency to store fat around the middle rather than around the hips) are more at risk of health problems, as Jenny says. So although I'm a petite size 10-12 with a BMI of 20.28 my body fat level is only at an "acceptable" rather than fit level and my waist to hip ratio means my health risk is moderate rather than low.

I'm not sure what we're supposed to do about it though, without going underweight ... 🙄

 

[Radders]

Interesting, thank you. With the waist to hip one I can't win, as if I lose weight it will go from both places I'm sure! That one puts me at high risk, whereas the body fat percentage one says I'm "acceptable".

 

[Austin Mini]

Cycling every day will reduce your waistline remarkably quickly.

 

[Radders]

Cycling every day will reduce your waistline remarkably quickly.

It hasn't so far, unfortunately! I have noticed that my quads and glues have toned up considerably but little effect on my waist.

 

[Robin]

It hasn't so far, unfortunately! I have noticed that my quads and glues have toned up considerably but little effect on my waist.

I found that being of 'a certain age' any weight I lose comes off my hips and thighs, and any I put back on again goes on my waist. I've completely changed shape in the last ten years.

 

[Radders]

I found that being of 'a certain age' any weight I lose comes off my hips and thighs, and any I put back on again goes on my waist. I've completely changed shape in the last ten years.

Oops Robin, that's quite an incentive not to lose weight!

 

[Robin]

It hasn't so far, unfortunately! I have noticed that my quads and glues have toned up considerably but little effect on my waist.

Just a postscript to this thread. I went walking in the mountains for ten days. What with the hills and the altitude, I've come back the fittest I've been for a couple of years, I've also toned up my bum and thigh muscles. I measured my waist and hips, and discovered I've lost an inch off my hips, but nothing off my waist. So whereas my ratio before was in the 'low risk of a cardiac event' category, now I'm in the high risk. RIdiculous or what!

 

[Radders]

Yes, clearly that's just daft, such a crude measure doesn't reflect reality at all. Did you have a nice time though?

 

[Robin]

Yes, clearly that's just daft, such a crude measure doesn't reflect reality at all. Did you have a nice time though?

Yes! thank you. The weather even stayed dry, which for the Alps is a minor miracle.

 

[Marsbartoastie]

Yes it is supposed to show you are well endowed with fat round your organs and you know the genetic predisposition that people from south India have to T2? - well they also have a marked predisposition to tubbiness round the tummy.

Your observations about different body shapes is interesting. A few years ago I was having supper with friends and we got on to the same subject. When we compared our torsos the differences were clear. Both Indian guys had nipples and tummies that sat very high up their bodies compared with the Europeans and the Japanese.

 

[KookyCat]

Late to this thread but I completely ignore BMI and waist measurements, they're utterly irrelevant to my body type. I'm six foot and a bit, female and most of my height is leg and I have more muscle. Currently I have a 27 inch waist, but that's because I don't really have a waist, I'm size 8 and have a BMI of 23, but when my body fat was measured it's still considered dangerously low. Before diagnosis my BMI was 26 I was a size 10 my waist was 28 inches and I was considered overweight, yet my body fat measurement was you've guessed it dangerously low. One nurse noted my body shape as Apple, because I didn't fit any of the categories at all. If I put weight on it tends to evenly distribute and I'm not your narrow gangly sort of tall either, I've got me a strapping pair of shoulders. We're all different and a measurement system invented on norms is not going to be useful for everyone. That said if you want to whittle a waist hula hooping is a great method, although that won't really tackle visceral fat. I'm rambling a bit now (must get my morning coffee!) but visceral fat is actually very useful, it has a role to play in protecting organs so some is necessary 🙂

 

[Northerner]

I've always been very light, and weight tends to go on the torso - only started happening after I turned 40 so I guess a true 'middle-aged spread' 😱 However, since stopping drinking alcohol in January I have lost 6.5 inches off my waist and my BMI has fallen from 24.5 to 20.5. I'm still about 2 stone heavier than I was when I was 25 though! 😱