Waist to Hip Ratio, Waist to Height Ratio - HELP!!

riccoismydog

I have been calculating and looking into my waist to hip ratio and waist to height ratio.
I really thought I have about ten pounds to lose.

According to these calculations, I am really unhealthy. Really really unhealthy.

My waist to hip is 0.8, which supposedly means I am very unhealthy.

My waist to height ratio is 0.5, which is indicative that I am also very unhealthy and too heavy around the middle.

I am 5'2 and 129 lbs.

Ouch!!!!

I didn't think it was so bad. Is this stuff bunk along with bmi? I keep reading it is a good indicator of heart disease factors and whether you are really having a weight problem. Also, according to wikipedia a waist to hip ratio of 0.8 is really unattractive.

Anyone have an opinion on this???

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waist-to-height_ratio

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waist–hip_ratio

I knew I needed to lose ten pounds, but I didn't think it was this bad. Most people call me skinny. So has society got it right or these calculators???

Mynue_Jeens

The chart I just looked at said a .8 waist to hip ratio is low risk. Are you sure you are reading your charts/calculations right?

http://www.bmi-calculator.net/waist-to-hip-ratio-calculator/waist-to-hip-ratio-chart.php

juliekin

I looked it up also. Yours is fine and low risk. The first one is waist to HEIGHT ratio.

Akjenn89

I am by no means in the medical profession. However, I can tell you some beliefs behind it (which you probably/might have read yourself).

The idea behind the waist-to-hip ratio is due to abdominal fat being a precurser to heart disease in comparison to other areas where the body stores fat (supposedly). This is due to fat in the abdominal region being more likely to cause influctuations in hormone levels.

As far as the attraction level goes, the idea behind that is due to surveys of men deciding which picture of a woman they find most attractive. I forget the number off the top of my head (I thought it was about 0.6 or 0.7). The number that men found most attractive also seemed to correlate with fertility rates in that woman as well. (Supposedly people of that waist-hip ratio are more likely to be fertile). However, the downside of this particular experiment is that most of the pictures that men looked at were just that -- PICTURES. And not even real graphic pictures, but sometimes cartoon pictures with different waist hip ratios. So how accurate that is, is really questionable.

LolaVaantz

Check with your doctor, get the real tests done (not the generic ratio lists) AND take into account your ethnicity, body type, muscle mass and overall health (can you run/excercise without keeling over unable to breath?)

kunibob

Some people are naturally built straighter up and down, and unfortunately no amount of weight loss will change that. It sucks, because yeah, certain builds do predispose people to certain illnesses, but unfortunately life just isn't fair!! But still...0.8 is fine according the standards I'm familiar with, so it really isn't so horrible as you seem to think! And while studies have shown that certain waist-to-hip ratios are "more attractive", it doesn't mean that other ratios are UNattractive. It's like how a particular actress's proportions may be widely seen as attractive, but it doesn't mean that someone with different proportions is instantly unattractive. Attractive people come in many varied shapes.

paxetamore

According to these articles, I am in the waist-to-height normal range (for my age) :noway:
And I'm considered a beauty "in parts of South America and Africa" due to my waist-to-hip ratio

Point being, don't believe everything on wikis :laugh:

Certainly some good info out there, in general, but imho, really do not despair over these. Good luck to you :flowerforyou:

riccoismydog

Thanks guys. I was just really worried. I actually came out with a double check at 0.85....which is farther away from healthy and sexy than I would like to be. I guess they just assume women have hips..... the funny thing is I think I am a pear shape, as I carry all my weight below my waist, but the ratio doesn't show that. I am cardio challenged. But not cardio impossibled, I'm gonna have to keep working on fitness and hope that that will do. I guess knowing this I will try to keep improving my fitness level and not worry about the rest.