Abdominal girth and fat distribution
Fat distribution in our body is directly correlated to the health risk. We distinguish between apple and pear types. In women we often find pear types, with fat deposited on the hips and thighs. Although not visually beautiful, fat found here is much less dangerous than the belly fat of the apple type. Abdominal fat is always associated with fatty degeneration of internal organs and is a risk factor for arteriosclerosis, heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure and diabetes.
Which fat storage type are you?
Abdominal girth
Abdominal girth is therefore an extremely meaningful measure of the risk of experiencing one of the above-mentioned conditions. The following table shows the relationship between abdominal girth and health risk:
| Women | Men | Health Risk |
|---|---|---|
| up to 80 cm (31 in) | up to 94 cm (37 in) | low |
| 81 bis 88 cm (32 - 35 in) | 95 bis 102 cm (38-40 in) | heightened |
| above 88 cm (>35 in) | above 102 cm (>40 in) | high |
Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR)
Another measure of fat distribution is the Waist to Hip Ratio, the ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference.
WHR = waist circumference : hip circumference
Ideally, a WHR for women does not exceed 0.85 and in men less than or equal to 1.0.