Waist-to-hip ratio
The waist-to-hip ratio measurement can be used to help determine
obesity. The distribution of fat is evaluated by dividing waist
size by hip size. A person with a 30-inch waist and 40-inch hips
would have a ratio of .75; one with a 41-inch waist and 39-inch
hips would have a ratio of 1.05. The higher the ratio, the higher
the risk of heart disease and other obesity-related
disorders.
Review Date: 4/28/2008
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor
of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts
General Hospital.
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