waist should be less than half your height

Sabine_Stroehm

According to a new study being reported in various news outlets:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/11080588/Key-to-a-long-life-is-a-waist-measuring-less-than-half-your-height.html

higgins8283801

If I'm calculating right than that means I need a 30. That seems doable.

rosehips60

At 5' 10" I need to get to 35", better get going on my 30 day challenge!

LaReinaDeCorazones

Mine is already less than half n I expect to lose several more inches off so I'm good. .

dbmata

Hm, it says mine should be 35. That's what mine is.

I'll have a fulfilling life!

LoosingMyLast15

if this is true i only have one more inch to go. woot woot!

DeguelloTex

Mine is already less than half and I have 50 more pounds to go.

hmaddpear

Les Mayhew, a professor of statistics at Cass Business School, said: “There is now overwhelming evidence that government policy should place greater emphasis on waist to height ratio as a screening tool.”

Of course, the NHS does place great emphasis on the waist size. They're a bit more draconian though - women's waists ideally should be less than 31.5" and men's less than 37".

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

Due to the dreaded middle aged spread, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get under that again. Should make 32.5", though. (at 65", that's half.)

meg091380

My goal puts mine at half, so seems plausible...

lemurcat12

My insurance company has been using that as part of its assessment for a while.

(31.5 for me, so not unreasonable, even though I wish I tended more to the hourglass instead of being super high-waisted.)

SingRunTing

I know they say waist, but do they mean waist (as in the natural waist) or belly? If they mean waist, I'm close. If they mean belly, not so much...

DeguelloTex

Les Mayhew, a professor of statistics at Cass Business School, said: “There is now overwhelming evidence that government policy should place greater emphasis on waist to height ratio as a screening tool.”

Of course, the NHS does place great emphasis on the waist size. They're a bit more draconian though - women's waists ideally should be less than 31.5" and men's less than 37".

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

Due to the dreaded middle aged spread, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get under that again. Should make 32.5", though. (at 65", that's half.)

The idea that a fixed waist measurement is useful, regardless of the height of the person involved, seems brain damaged even for government.

DjinnMarie

Mine should be 32? Being short with a small torso, this would make me a beach ball. Maybe it ok as a general rule, but definitely not my preference.

Need2Exerc1se

Oh, I hope that is true! I only need to lose one inch off my waist to meet that requirement, even though I'm just starting and I'm more than 20 lbs overweight by BMI.

I did a little googling to make sure I was measuring the in the right spot, and I am (between the lowest rib bone and the hip bone, according to one article on the study).

I suppose I should thank my parents.

chivalryder

Eek. If that's true, I need a 36" waist.

i don't think I even had a 36" waist when I was in high school and I was in decent shape back then!

SingRunTing

Mine should be 32? Being short with a small torso, this would make me a beach ball. Maybe it ok as a general rule, but definitely not my preference.

Really, did you have to go there? Maybe I'm just feeling sensitive today, but that just struck a "well then I must look like a blimp" nerve.

DjinnMarie

Mine should be 32? Being short with a small torso, this would make me a beach ball. Maybe it ok as a general rule, but definitely not my preference.

Really, did you have to go there? Maybe I'm just feeling sensitive today, but that just struck a "well then I must look like a blimp" nerve.

Are you me? With the same body type, frame and measurements? Am I missing a twin?

SingRunTing

Mine should be 32? Being short with a small torso, this would make me a beach ball. Maybe it ok as a general rule, but definitely not my preference.

Really, did you have to go there? Maybe I'm just feeling sensitive today, but that just struck a "well then I must look like a blimp" nerve.

Are you me? With the same body type, frame and measurements? Am I missing a twin?

I'm shorter than you and have a bigger waist. I'm not saying it's logical, but it did strike a nerve.

Edited to add: I'm not usually this sensitive, but it just hit me hard. I'm not going to fight about this though, so have a good day!

AngeliqueAcee

That would put me at 32.5".. I'm at 31 so I guess I should just keep at it and live until I'm 100! Woop! Always wanted to live until 2089

DjinnMarie

Mine should be 32? Being short with a small torso, this would make me a beach ball. Maybe it ok as a general rule, but definitely not my preference.

Really, did you have to go there? Maybe I'm just feeling sensitive today, but that just struck a "well then I must look like a blimp" nerve.

Are you me? With the same body type, frame and measurements? Am I missing a twin?

I'm shorter than you and have a bigger waist. I'm not saying it's logical, but it did strike a nerve.

My torso is disproportionately shorter than my height. I have an extremely small frame. I have had a 32 inch waist before. People carry their weight differently. A 32 inch waist on one person will look astoundingly different on another.

Sabine_Stroehm

Les Mayhew, a professor of statistics at Cass Business School, said: “There is now overwhelming evidence that government policy should place greater emphasis on waist to height ratio as a screening tool.”

Of course, the NHS does place great emphasis on the waist size. They're a bit more draconian though - women's waists ideally should be less than 31.5" and men's less than 37".

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

Due to the dreaded middle aged spread, I'm pretty sure I'm not going to get under that again. Should make 32.5", though. (at 65", that's half.)

Damned middle age spread. I should probably measure mine again!

Sabine_Stroehm

Mine should be 32? Being short with a small torso, this would make me a beach ball. Maybe it ok as a general rule, but definitely not my preference.

For health.

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Fit_Fox88

Mine should be 32? Being short with a small torso, this would make me a beach ball. Maybe it ok as a general rule, but definitely not my preference.

Really, did you have to go there? Maybe I'm just feeling sensitive today, but that just struck a "well then I must look like a blimp" nerve.

Perhaps you shouldn't read the forums then if something like that will "strike a nerve" on your sensitive days. She was talking about herself, not you. She also made a good point about it being a general rule but not a guideline. Nothing here was aimed at you personally. Jeesh, chill out.

Kaelakcr

It's interesting, because they've always said that the hourglass shape is correlated with lower risk of heart disease and stuff. A lot of this is genetic; my mom is overweight but she would have to be really overweight to be more than 34" at the waist, just because of her shape. Even when I'm "bigger", my waist is still 24". So it sounds like it's less about weight than where your body holds fat.

HeidiCooksSupper

Sounds like I need to get A LOT TALLER!!! No, seriously, I'm still just proud that my circumference is less than my height. Half? Eek!!

jrline

sounds accurate

Alluminati

Mine should be 32? Being short with a small torso, this would make me a beach ball. Maybe it ok as a general rule, but definitely not my preference.

Really, did you have to go there? Maybe I'm just feeling sensitive today, but that just struck a "well then I must look like a blimp" nerve.

Are you me? With the same body type, frame and measurements? Am I missing a twin?

I'm shorter than you and have a bigger waist. I'm not saying it's logical, but it did strike a nerve.

Edited to add: I'm not usually this sensitive, but it just hit me hard. I'm not going to fight about this though, so have a good day!

Is it bad that I found this funny?
I'm a jerk.

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NoMoreBlameGame

nevermind, just deleting my post. I guess I have a weird body shape. lol

lemurcat12

Mine should be 32?

Less than 32. So your preference is fine.