Is there truth to waist-to-height meaning something?

kaseysospacey

I found a ton of sites that have BMI calculators that claim that the waist to height or waist to hip ratio shows your risk of getting heart disease and other similar things. My ration was .78. Is there truth to this? They all said having a "pear" shape is different than an "apple" but having a "pear" you don't lose weight on bottom, and now I'm kind of worried because that's where a lot of my work is (I have some serious, serious junk in my trunk lol).

BeetleChe13

As far I know, it's true in that according to studies, having a higher waist-hip ratio increases your chances of cardiovascular diseases (and others conditions?). If you are considered a pear (and you are), then your chances are lower because you carry your extra weight lower than your waist. It doesn't rule out a heart attack, but you have a lower risk factor than someone with an apple shape, who carries their excess fat in the abdomen and upper body. I haven't looked very deeply into the studies or research, but as common as the theory is, I'd say it has some truth.

Also, I'm a pear as well. My ratio is .66. (So my behind is proportionally even larger than yours. ) I've lost more than I planned and gone beyond my goal weight, and I've only lost 2 inches on my hips. So yes, being a pear means that those trouble spots in your lower half will be the very last place you see improvement. Prepare to lose mostly in your upper half for the first part of your journey. This doesn't mean that you won't see any improvement though--you will still lose inches and can gain definition, but that fat is very stubborn!

bathsheba_c

This sounds to me like an overly complicated way of just saying that overweight people have larger waists. And elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases.

BeetleChe13

This sounds to me like an overly complicated way of just saying that overweight people have larger waists. And elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases.

Not really. People carry their weight differently, and for even obese people with larger bottoms and smaller waists (relatively), their risks are lower than those with larger waists. Also, people that only carry 10 to 15 extra pounds could find themselves in the high risk category. It's also a good indicator of body fat.

kaseysospacey

not at all....this is entirely about proportion. People in a normal weight range would qualify for this...it has nothing to do with weight. Even a person that weights 99lbs would have some sort of hip-waist ratio.