Simple method for describing the distribution of subcutaneous and intra-abdominal adipose tissue.
A tool used to assess fat distribution and health risk. Waist-to-hip ratio is calculated by measuring waist and hip circumferences and then dividing the waist measurement by the hip measurement. The waist-to-hip ratio indicates whether a person carries more weight around the abdomen or around the hips and thighs. People who tend to store fat around the abdomen tend to have elevated levels of harmful low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, which causes fatty plaque deposits to accumulate on artery walls. A healthy waist-to-hip ratio is 0.8 for women and 0.95 for men.
The measured circumference of the waist divided by the measured circumference of the hip. It has been used as one of several means of estimating abdominal body fat. Other anthropometries that are similarly used are the “waist circumference,” the “waist-to-height ratio,” and the “body mass index.” Although each of these measurements, if abnormal, has been statistically linked to increased risks for cardiovascular disease, they vary in their specificity and usefulness in people of differing ages and ethnicities.
One can utilize a computation to determine whether their physique can be classified as either pear-shaped or apple-shaped.