What should your waist measurement be? For men, a waist circumference below 94cm (37in) is 'low risk', 94–102cm (37-40in) is 'high risk' and more than 102cm (40in) is 'very high'. For women, below 80cm (31.5in) is low risk, 80–88cm (31.5-34.6in) is high risk and more than 88cm (34.6in) is very high.
Now that you've measured your waist circumference you need to know what it means. To have your best chance at maintaining good health, you should aim for: Men should have a waist circumference of 40 inches or less. Women should have a waist circumference of 35 inches or less.
Ideally, your waist measurement should be less than half of your height. (So if you're 5 foot 6, or 66 inches, your waist circumference should be less than 33 inches.)
A woman's health is at risk if her waist circumference is 32 inches or more. A measurement of 35 or more puts you at high risk for a heart attack or stroke. People with a high level of abdominal fat have a much higher chance of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
The bottom line
The average American woman's waist size is 38.7 inches. Also, the average American woman is 63.6 inches tall and weigh 170 pounds. All of these numbers are indicators of health, but not predictors.
Runway models must have precise measurements so they're able to fit the clothes that designers are going to be showing to their clients. Their measurements are usually no greater than 34 inches around the bust, 23 inches around the waist, and 34 inches around the hips.
US 8 - either UK 10 (Waist 27”/28" and Bust 35”/36") or UK 12 (Waist 29”/30" and Bust 37”/38") US 10 - either UK 12 (Waist 29”/30" and Bust 37”/38") or UK 14 (Waist 31”/32" and Bust 39”/40") US 12 - approximately UK 14 (Waist 31”/32" and Bust 39”/40")
A waist circumference of greater than 40 inches for men and greater than 35 inches for women is "considered elevated and indicative of increased cardiometabolic (heart disease-related) risk," said Craig Peters, DO, an HonorHealth cardiologist.
It depends what you means by “normal.” Medically, the advice these days is for a woman to have a waist less than 32 inches [81.5 cm] and 36 inches [91.5 cm] for a man. Above those measurements is regarded by the medics as indicating overweight and loss of control over diet, exercise, lifestyle generally.
Is a 27 inch waist good for a woman? For women, a 27-inch waist is roughly 9″ smaller than the average female's. And even among fit women, a 27-inch waist is on the small side. So it's a good target for overall health and fitness.
What should your waist measurement be? For men, a waist circumference below 94cm (37in) is 'low risk', 94–102cm (37-40in) is 'high risk' and more than 102cm (40in) is 'very high'. For women, below 80cm (31.5in) is low risk, 80–88cm (31.5-34.6in) is high risk and more than 88cm (34.6in) is very high.
Finally, the researchers question the current guidelines, “recommending that a single waist circumference threshold for white adults (men greater than 102 centimeters [cm]; women greater than 88 cm) be used to denote a high waist circumference, regardless of BMI category.”
Waist Circumference
If most of your fat is around your waist rather than at your hips, you're at a higher risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. This risk goes up with a waist size that is greater than 35 inches for women or greater than 40 inches for men.
Breathing normally, wrap it around the part of your belly that's roughly two inches above your hips. That's your waist circumference. In general if you're a woman, you want a measurement that's less than 34.5 inches. If you're a man, a number below 40 inches is ideal.
The average waist size for American women is 35.6 inches. That means a 30 inch waist would put you in the 15th percentile among most females, which is quite a bit smaller than average. However, it's important to remember that 3 out of 4 adult women in the US are overweight or obese.
For your best health, your waist should be less than 40 inches around for men, and less than 35 inches for women, although it may vary depending on race or ethnicity. If it's larger than that, you may want to talk with your doctor about what your next steps are, including losing weight.
The average American woman 20 years old and up weighs 170.6 pounds and stands at 63.7 inches (almost 5 feet, 4 inches) tall. And the average waist circumference? It's 38.6 inches. These numbers may or may not be surprising to you.
Thus a man who is 6ft or 72 inches tall (183 cm), should keep his waist under 36 inches (91 cm), and a woman who is 5ft 4 in or 64 inches tall (163 cm), should keep her waist measurement under 32 inches (81 cm).
Usually, we consider hip sizes above 36 or 37 inches curvy and hip sizes below 34 to be a slim silhouette. Also, the waist-to-hip ratios of curvy individuals are often in the range of 0.7 to 0.8.
Yes it is relatively small waist size as it is smaller than the average waist size however its appearance may vary based on body proportions.
The average Victoria's Secret model has a 23.6-inch waist, an inch less than 20 years ago, and their hips average 34.4 inches, according to The Globe.
Ideal waistline measurement
According to the Heart Foundation, a healthy waistline size is: 37 inches or less for men. 31.5 inches or less for women.
Waist Size:
A good target WHtR for men would be between 0.44 and 0.48. You will look well shaped, be relatively athletic, stay healthy** and sustaining this range of leanness (~10–18% body-fat) is very practical. Similar WHtR recommendation for women would be 0.42–0.46 (which corresponds to 20–28% body-fat).