More than 50% of people aged 19 and above have excessive waist circumference! Measure your waist circumference every week and learn 4 steps

Due to factors such as westernized diet and unhealthy lifestyle habits, excessive waist circumference is a common health problem among Chinese people. According to the National Nutrition and Health Survey from 2017 to 2020, more than 50% of people aged 19 and above have excessive waist circumference; furthermore, even if the body mass index (Body Mass Index; BMI) is normal, nearly 20% still have excessive waist circumference, indicating that people pay more attention to weight control but tend to neglect waist circumference management.

Measure your waist circumference correctly and take control of your own health. (Photo courtesy of National Health Service)

The study also pointed out that as waist circumference increases, blood pressure, blood sugar and bad cholesterol will also increase significantly, leading to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Weight must be known using a bathroom scale, but waist circumference can be easily known from appearance, when buying or wearing clothes, and the actual size of the waist can be measured with a ruler; a large waist circumference indicates abdominal obesity and excessive visceral fat, and excessive accumulation of visceral fat will affect metabolism.

If the waist circumference of a man is greater than 90 cm and that of a woman is greater than 80 cm, be careful of excessive visceral fat.

Director Wu Zhaojun of the National Health Administration reminds that the easiest way to determine the accumulation of visceral fat is to measure waist circumference, because BMI cannot reflect the degree of visceral fat accumulation. Adult men with waist circumference greater than 90 cm and women with waist circumference greater than 80 cm should be careful about the problem of excessive visceral fat. They should develop the habit of regularly measuring and recording their waist circumference, and manage their waist circumference through a healthy diet of less oil, less salt, less sugar and high fiber, and 150 minutes of regular exercise per week to protect their health.

Measure your waist circumference correctly and take control of your health

Waist size is closely related to personal health. You only need a tape measure to measure it easily, master the correct measurement position, and record personal data to understand your health at any time. In conjunction with the annual 89 (August 9) Waist Measurement Day, the Millennium Love Health Foundation will also give away waist measuring paper rulers for free for the public to request. The National Health Administration reminds you that if you have never measured your waist circumference, please measure it as soon as possible. If your waist circumference is within the normal range, it is recommended to measure it at least once a year during a health check-up. If your waist circumference exceeds the standard, you should control your weight. It is recommended to measure it at least once a week and follow the following 4 steps:

Measure your waist once a week and follow these 4 steps

In the morning on an empty stomach, remove the clothes covering your waist, stand comfortably, and let your hands hang naturally.

Wrap the measuring tape around your waist and adjust the height so that it passes through the midline of the abdomen (the midline from the upper edge of the pelvis to the lower edge of the ribs).

 Make sure the measuring tape remains parallel to the ground and fits snugly without squeezing the skin.

Maintain normal breathing and measure your waist circumference at the end of exhalation.