Is waist size largely genetics?

Mellouk89
Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
edited May 2021 in Health and Weight Loss
I've always had a big waist for as far as I can remember, even when I was very lean I had a 32 inch waist at 1m75. Is waist size mostly hereditary and should we just ignore the number and instead focus on definition and body fat? Isn't it what matters at the end?
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Replies

  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    Well, you can't change anything about your bone structure. To give you an example: I have a fairly short abdomen and a wide pelvis. A very present waist, but I'll never get one below 75cm as there's not the space for it. If you're talking about bodyfat, then yes, you can do something about it. It will likely be slow though.
  • sandboxfitness
    sandboxfitness Posts: 69 Member
    You’d be surprised when you lose all the fat around your waist; how much small it is
  • Jthanmyfitnesspal
    Jthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 3,522 Member
    I think the OP telegraphed the answer. No, your waist size doesn't matter a whit to a weasel-- at least not to anyone else. What matters is who you are and what you do.
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    sandboxfitness wrote: »
    You’d be surprised when you lose all the fat around your waist; how much small it is

    The lowest ive ever got my waist was 31 inches and I was borderline underweight. Thats why im wondering if some people are just born with a bigger waist.
  • sarah7591
    sarah7591 Posts: 415 Member
    I would think it does have something to do with genetics. People have different body types. Some are just more prone to storing in their waist rather than hips. I am no Dr. but that is my .02
  • Speakeasy76
    Speakeasy76 Posts: 961 Member
    edited May 2021
    I think where one stores most of his or her fat and their build is largely genetic and/or dependent on hormones.

    Of course, through diet and exercise, one can reshape him or herself and those proportions can look different. For example, if someone really builds up his or her shoulders or back, his or her waist can look small in proportion.
  • sandboxfitness
    sandboxfitness Posts: 69 Member
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    sandboxfitness wrote: »
    You’d be surprised when you lose all the fat around your waist; how much small it is

    The lowest ive ever got my waist was 31 inches and I was borderline underweight. Thats why im wondering if some people are just born with a bigger waist.

    Being under weight doesn’t mean you have low fat percentage. When you get to 6-7% body fat then evaluate your waist line
  • Theoldguy1
    Theoldguy1 Posts: 2,496 Member
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    6-7% body fat is not healthy at all I don't know why you would want to get down that low.

    There are high level athletes that compete at that level (NFL receivers, defensive back, NBA guards, sprinters, etc). They are doing alright.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,203 Member
    If you have a wide pelvis and a wide rib cage, it may not be impossible to get a slim waist, but that geometry does make it less likely, particularly - as yirara says - you have a short torso. Since you're a guy, I'm assuming you're not going for hourglass anyway. For a male, seems like definition and relatively low fat ought to be possible (but I'm not going to venture into BF% estimates). Do you think it's important for a man to be below some absolute number for some reason?
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    I'm not interested in being extremely lean, i've experienced it in the past and it felt terrible. To me 12-14% is the sweet spot. But I find that I have a bigger waist than most people who are at my weight and body fat level. So i'm wondering if it's genetics. At least i've heard that it may be genetics.

    I actually have a long torso, and I would say I have pretty thick upper body.

    i can post some pictures if it's allowed.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,203 Member
    Mellouk89 wrote: »
    I'm not interested in being extremely lean, i've experienced it in the past and it felt terrible. To me 12-14% is the sweet spot. But I find that I have a bigger waist than most people who are at my weight and body fat level. So i'm wondering if it's genetics. At least i've heard that it may be genetics.

    I actually have a long torso, and I would say I have pretty thick upper body.

    i can post some pictures if it's allowed.

    It's allowed, as long as you're wearing at least something like a bathing suit that covers you up in a way that you could go out in public like on a regular beach. Pictures in underwear, or with waistline pulled down really far, are not allowed.
  • ChickenKillerPuppy
    ChickenKillerPuppy Posts: 297 Member
    When I was 160 pounds and when I am 120 pounds, I’m still a 36 inch bra size. Cup, however, has gone from a C to an A! But my rib cage is wide even at a much lower weight.
  • corinasue1143
    corinasue1143 Posts: 7,464 Member
    I don’t know about genetic, but yes, I think it pretty much stays the same big or small.
    When I was small, my hips were about 4 inches larger than my bust and 15 inches larger than my waist.
    When I was big, my hips were about 5 inches larger than my bust and 14 inches larger than my waist.
    Probably not gonna change a lot.
  • Luke_rabbit
    Luke_rabbit Posts: 1,031 Member
    I think there is probably a genetic component. Even when a healthy BMI, my spouse (male) has a waist around 34". I, however, have always had a proportionally small waist for my weight (whether normal BMI or overweight or obese). On the other hand, my cankles are huge even when I'm slim.
  • nooshi713
    nooshi713 Posts: 4,877 Member
    A lot of it is. I’m short and my ribs end right above my hip bones so there isn’t much room for it to dip in. Even at my lowest body fat, I had a 27 inch waist. There is no room to go any smaller for me no matter how much I lost.
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    bold_rabbit wrote: »
    I think there is probably a genetic component. Even when a healthy BMI, my spouse (male) has a waist around 34". I, however, have always had a proportionally small waist for my weight (whether normal BMI or overweight or obese). On the other hand, my cankles are huge even when I'm slim.

    Same for me I have a 34" waist and i'm pretty lean, at least people around me say so.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    wunderkindking wrote: »
    I am short waisted as heck, and the top of my pelvic bones and the bottom of my ribcage are precisely, exactly, in line - and also 2" (not hyperbole) apart.

    There is no body fat percentage where I'm going to have a well defined waist. An inward dip from the front, yes, gotten that, from the side? No. Where would it even BE?

    Hello my secret twin!
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    32" waist doesn't seem big to me. I'm 5'10" and I was 32" waist in the military and had abs. At my usual maintenance weight I wear a loose 34...32 is a bit tight. At my usual maintenance weight I have no love handles and only a small pooch in the lower abdomen and top 4 abs are visible in the right light. I'm a little fluffy at the moment and need to drop about 10 Lbs to get back to where I'm most comfortable...and I have zero desire to be sub 10% BF. 12-15% is perfectly fine and healthy.
  • wunderkindking
    wunderkindking Posts: 1,615 Member
    The thing listed above is an oversimplification.

    It's actually waist to hips RATIO: https://www.healthline.com/health/waist-to-hip-ratio that determines a health risk.
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    edited May 2021
    Yes. Even when I was underweight my waist was 27. I have a best friend who even though she is 20-40lbs heavier than me always has a 21-25 inch waist.
  • Mellouk89
    Mellouk89 Posts: 469 Member
    corinasue1143 wrote: »
    gfg0nbh29uth.jpeg
    Some people care about waist size—the requirements for guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier.

    I don't know what this is, but a 30 inch waist at 6'2 is highly unusual :D

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