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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.

Reviewed last on: 4/28/2008
Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.

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