Eat Wise & Exercise

Waist to Hip Ratio

The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a method that identifies the proportion of fat stored on your body around your mid section. You can determine your WHR by measuring your waist in inches (smallest section of your abdominal area) and hip area (largest section of your buttocks area and where your hip flexor bends). To calculate: Inches of Waist divided by Inches of Hip = WHR.

A WHR of 0.88 or higher for women and 0.96 or higher for men, increases the risk of the following:

High blood pressure
Type II Diabetes
High Cholesterol
Coronary Artery Disease
Certain Cancers
Premature Death

Exercise and eat right to decrease the risk of developing the above health problems.

The Truth about Storing Fat

Most people store fat in two ways:

Around the abdominal region, causing what's known as the apple shape or android.
Around the hips, causing what's known as the pear shape or gynoid.

Individuals with an "apple shape" carry most of their fat in their abdominal region, causing a higher WHR and increased risk of disease.

Other Body Measurements

Other important measurements to identify your health status are Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat percentage. Contact LIVE FOR LIFE at 684-3136 (option 1) to schedule an appointment to have your measurements taken. Please wear workout clothes to the appointment.


Eat Wise & Exercise Home Easy Tracker (PDF Format) Contest Winners Past Weeks Experts Resources FAQ Last Year's Program Sponsored by LIVE FOR LIFE, Duke's employee health promotion program, Eat Wise and Exercise is a 10-week program from January 14 through March 23, 2008 — during the program you'll receive useful and practical information to improve your diet and exercise, and LIVE FOR LIFE coaches will keep you motivated. LIVE FOR LIFE at Duke Box 3200 DUMC 04290 Red Zone Durham, NC 27710 Phone: (919) 684-3136 Fax: (919) 681-0555 lflprogm@mc.duke.edu		LIVE FOR LIFE >> Eat Wise & Exercise >> Waist to Hip Ratio
		Waist to Hip Ratio The waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is a method that identifies the proportion of fat stored on your body around your mid section. You can determine your WHR by measuring your waist in inches (smallest section of your abdominal area) and hip area (largest section of your buttocks area and where your hip flexor bends). To calculate: Inches of Waist divided by Inches of Hip = WHR. A WHR of 0.88 or higher for women and 0.96 or higher for men, increases the risk of the following: High blood pressure Type II Diabetes High Cholesterol Coronary Artery Disease Certain Cancers Premature Death Exercise and eat right to decrease the risk of developing the above health problems. The Truth about Storing Fat Most people store fat in two ways: Around the abdominal region, causing what's known as the apple shape or android. Around the hips, causing what's known as the pear shape or gynoid. Individuals with an "apple shape" carry most of their fat in their abdominal region, causing a higher WHR and increased risk of disease. Other Body Measurements Other important measurements to identify your health status are Body Mass Index (BMI) and body fat percentage. Contact LIVE FOR LIFE at 684-3136 (option 1) to schedule an appointment to have your measurements taken. Please wear workout clothes to the appointment.