{"id":77166,"date":"2012-08-08T08:00:28","date_gmt":"2012-08-08T13:00:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/?p=77166"},"modified":"2012-08-07T23:25:01","modified_gmt":"2012-08-08T04:25:01","slug":"waist-circumference-the-one-health-number-you-need-to-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dietsinreview.com\/diet_column\/08\/waist-circumference-the-one-health-number-you-need-to-know\/","title":{"rendered":"Waist Circumference: The One Health Number You Need to Know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Want to know if you\u2019re at risk for type 2 diabetes<\/a><\/strong>? There\u2019s one number that can clue you in, but most people don\u2019t know what it is and their doctors don\u2019t routinely measure it. The need-to-know number is your waist circumference<\/a><\/strong>, the distance around your waist.\"\"<\/p>\n

Experts have long known that waist circumference\u2014an indication of how much fat you\u2019re carrying around your middle\u2014is a risk factor for diabetes. What\u2019s fascinating is that no matter how much you weigh, the larger your waist circumference the higher your risk for diabetes, according to a study of nearly 30,000 people published in the journal Public Library of Science Medicine<\/em>. The researchers found that overweight women and overweight men with a large waist size (more than 35 inches for women; 40 inches for men) had a similar\u2014or higher\u2014risk for diabetes as women and men who were obese.<\/p>\n

When you visit your doctor, he or she may ask for your weight, figure out your BMI<\/a><\/strong>, and maybe even draw blood to check cholesterol, but many don\u2019t measure waist circumference. That\u2019s because not all are trained on how to do it and there\u2019s no standardization.<\/p>\n

So how can you find out your number? Measure it yourself! Here\u2019s how:<\/p>\n