Waist circumference is an important number used in many things, from choosing clothes to knowing if you are at a healthy weight. Fortunately, waist circumference can be measured easily and you can do it yourself with just a tape measure.
Step
Method 1 of 2: Taking Measurements
Step 1. Take off or lift the shirt
To get an accurate measurement, you need to make sure the tape is snug against your stomach. So you have to remove the clothes that cover the waist. Take off or lift the shirt to below the chest. When the pants reach the waist, loosen them and lower them to the hips.
Step 2. Find the waist
Trace the top of the hips and the base of the ribs with your fingers. The waist is the soft and fleshy part between the two bony parts. You can also identify it by looking at the smallest part of the torso and usually at or above the belly button.
Step 3. Wrap the tape measure around the waist
Make sure you are standing straight and breathing normally. Hold the base of the tape measure at the navel and loop it back until it comes back to the front. The tape measure should be parallel to the floor and fit snugly, not pressing against the skin.
Make sure the tape measure is straight and not twisted, especially at the back
Step 4. Read the numbers
Exhale and check the number on the meter. Your waist circumference is indicated by a number at the junction between the base and the body of the meter. The number can be inches or centimeters, depending on which side you're using.
Step 5. Check again
Repeat the measurement one more time to ensure the accuracy of the first measurement. If the results are different, measure a third time and take the average of the three measurements.
Method 2 of 2: Interpreting Measurement Results
Step 1. Check if your waist circumference is healthy
A healthy waist circumference for men is less than 94 cm or 37 inches, and for women 80 cm or 31 inches. A waist circumference greater than this indicates that you may have serious health problems, such as heart disease and stroke. A larger waist circumference may also indicate a risk of type 2 diabetes and cancer.
If your waist circumference is outside the healthy range, consider consulting a doctor
Step 2. Consider factors that might affect the usefulness of the measurement results
In some situations, waist circumference cannot be used as an indication of a health condition. For example, if you are pregnant or have a medical condition that causes your belly to appear distended (full or bloated), your waist circumference may be outside of normal parameters even if you are healthy. Similarly, ethnic background matters and there are ethnicities that tend to be large waisted, such as Chinese, Japanese, South Asian, Aboriginal, or Torres Strait Islander.
Step 3. Check your Body Mass Index (BMI) for more information about your weight
If after measuring your waist circumference you are still not sure if you are at a healthy weight, consider calculating your BMI. BMI calculation uses your weight and height to determine whether or not you need to lose weight.
