Hey Ladies,

You guys are so knowledgable I have a question for you. I am seeing a great Weight Loss doc right now in Ottawa (no gimmicks or anything, just a very healthy eating plan) and the nurse there took measurements. She measured my waist and took the measurement at the Belly Button instead of my natural waist line. I was talking to my Fiance and he said that is where the waist measurement for health.

I am just wondering this since I have read recently that docs want womens' waists to be about 31 inches or less. I can do that easily with the natural waist measurement (the lowest I have been was 27.5 inches and I was skinny due to my body type), but have no clue if I could acheive this with the belly button measurement (don't worry the doc isn't talking to me about getting this low or anything)..

Anything thoughts? comments?

Thanks ladies!

Ali

I'm not sure, but I had been told to measure my waist at the smallest area around my stomach, which for me is about an inch or so above my belly button.

I usually measure my waist as being where my belly button is, but the smallest part of my torso is actually 3 inches below the bra line. I call this my "high waist" measurement. Of course I never use this measurement for anything other than making me feel good that part of me (at least) is that small.

I have never heard that you have to measure at the belly button for hip-to-waist-ratios? I just measure there because I assume that is my natural waist line. Maybe the nurses are taught to measure there because it is easier for them versus really taking a step back and looking at your figure? Everyone is built differently and I've seen some women with very low belly buttons (I think mine is a bit high personally.)

According to Dr. Oz when he was on Oprah a few days ago he stated for health reasons you are to measure at the belly botton.

Yup, the You on a Diet gurus say measure at the belly button, and the reason they even say you can suck it in is that the measurement is a reflection of your omentum rather than the subcutaneous fat around your middle. A woman is OK healthwise if under 35 inches, but smaller is better, of course.

My Belly Button is 2 inches lower than my natural waist:P So to me it's edging into hip territory

Regardless, I am guessing the belly button will be a consistent measurement for everyone... When I was 256lbs, I didn't have a visible waist.

Ali

Wow... am I the ONLY person whose waist is thinner at the belly-button?? I have along torso, so maybe I'm just built weird...

Nope, mine is thinnest there as well.

In fact, I've never heard of measuring the waist above the belly button. Below, sure, but it seems to me pants would be very Erkel like if you wore them above the belly button? Perhaps the ladies here have really long torsos?

I always measure at the belly button, because I sew and well, that's how I was taught to measure the waist.

Ballys teaches the personal trainers to measure at the smallest part of the waist, so that's where I always have. But I don't think it matters a lot if you're always consistent. For me, it's easy to be consistent with smallest part of the waist and largest part of the hips.

For some reason, I thought that smallest part of the waist is what Dr. Oz said also? There are some old threads on it somewhere - maybe I can dig them up.

I have a very long torso

Meg: yup, that's where mine has always been taken too... Ah well, I surfed on sites and some say to take it at the natural waist and others at the belly button. All in all, It really isn't a big deal except when experts say your waist measurement should be under x-inches and then they don't say where the waist measurement should be taken (if it's suppose to be say under 32 at the natural waist and a doc measures it at the belly button, it may cause undue distress etc or vice versa). My own preference? The natural waist:P

Cheers!

Ali

I use my natural waist and when I do the suck in thing at the belly button it is the same as my natural waist. 28-29 inches (depending on time of month)