Men's waist circumference. Abdominal obesity. Since body mass index and weight don't work, what should you measure? I will tell you about a number of indicators that you can measure yourself

The beauty of the male body largely depends not only on the relief and volume of muscles. To achieve the ideal, it is much more important to maintain the proportionality of all its parts: the volume of the chest with the pelvis, and so on. Differences in age and race of a person have proportional significance. Let's figure out what the ideal proportions of a man's body are. This will be equally useful for both professional athletes and people who strive for excellence.

Main features of modern standards

Current standards have a direct connection with the ideals of the ancient world. This is a kind of symbiosis of an ancient image and a modern understanding of beauty. Here are the main points of an ideal figure for men:

• Slender, long neck.
• Clear trapezoid lines.
• Relief shoulder muscles.
• Cone-shaped pectoral muscles.
• Relief structure of the abdominal muscles.
• Pronounced back muscles, wide dorsal profile.
• Developed muscles of the lower extremities.

Depending on age, all body proportions will change. The fact is that every year the human body acquires certain physiological changes. Until the age of 25, body height and weight change. A man should begin exercising the muscle component no earlier than 16 years of age. Otherwise, the muscles may become stiff. You shouldn't overload them either. This can lead to the fact that in the future they will not develop and change their volume.

How to take measurements correctly

There are certain rules for measuring the male body and corresponding standards for their proportions. Let's look at the table of ratios, which is compiled from taking into account the height of a man:

In anthropometry there is such a thing as the “Golden Ratio.” It describes the proportions of the male body using a special formula. To calculate the exact value, a ratio of 1:1.6 is used. Simply put, if the forearm is expressed as a unit, then the length of the arm should be 1.6. It’s the same with muscle volumes.

Instructions for taking measurements

In order for the results of measuring body proportions to be as correct as possible, they should be carried out in the morning. The fact is that the body after sleep has the most accurate values. During the day he experiences stress, as a result of which the data may be far from the truth.

Measurements should be taken using an ordinary tape with sections. It will show the most correct results. If you don’t have one on hand, you can use nylon thread and a regular ruler or construction tape.

In order to track changes in the proportionality of body parts, you should keep a diary. It is best to take measurements no more than once a week.

Pay attention to your diet. It should contain as much protein as possible and a minimum of fat. Fast carbohydrates should also be avoided. They break down very quickly and do not bring any results. Try to eat more vegetables and cooked meat. This will allow you to build muscle mass as quickly as possible, and will also increase the productivity of your workouts.

The great Leonardo da Vinci was one of the first

Who studied and defined the ideal parameters of the human body.

The anatomical proportions he presented are still

Study in art schools all over the world.

From Leonardo da Vinci's theory of ideal proportions,

That the volumes of the chest, waist and hips, taken separately,

They don’t solve anything, it’s all about their relationship.

In modern society, changes in the parameters of the human body

(anthropometric data) are revised every 15 years,

Because during this period, as a result of the acceleration process, changes in size occur,

Proportions and shapes of the human figure. The well-known 90 – 60 – 90, of course,

They are not the standard of ideal female proportions for everyone.

Body proportions generally cannot be the same for all women,

Since there are different body types given to us genetically.

Main body types

The main body types include asthenic (thin-boned), normosthenic (normal-boned) and hypersthenic (broad-boned).

Women who have an asthenic (thin-boned) body type have thin bones, long limbs, a thin neck, and muscles are relatively poorly developed. Representatives of this type are usually light in weight, they are energetic and active. Eating plenty of food for quite a long time does not lead them to gain weight, since they spend energy faster than they accumulate. If a woman of this type does not have a very thin waist and normal, not narrow hips, everything seems petite due to the thin bone.

The physique of normosthenic women (normal bone type) is distinguished by the proportionality of the main body dimensions, the correct ratio. The most beautiful female figures are found with this body type.

In representatives of a hypersthenic (big-boned) physique, the transverse dimensions of the body predominate. Their bones are thick and heavy, their shoulders, chest and hips are wide, and their legs are sometimes somewhat short. Women of this type need to remember that they tend to be overweight.

You can determine your approximate body type by measuring the circumference of the wrist of your working hand. For normosthenics it is 16-18.5 cm, for asthenics it is up to 16 cm, and for hypersthenics it is 18.5 cm.

Quite often there are mixed body types with a predominance of the parameters of the above types.

If we talk about gradations of female height, they are as follows: low height - 150 cm and below, below average height - 151-156 cm, average height - 157-167 cm, high - 168-175 cm, very tall - 176 cm and above .

True, in recent years this gradation needs to be changed taking into account the acceleration of modern youth, so normal height can be considered for normal and large-boned people from 166 to 170 cm, and for thin-boned people from 168 to 172 cm.

Correct legs

There are certain proportions between height and leg length. Legs can be considered short if their length is less than half the height. A figure can be considered proportional when the length of the legs is more than half the height. For those with large bones, it is desirable to be 2-4 cm, for those with normal bones, 4-6 cm, for those with thin bones, 6-9 cm. For example, if with a normal bone type with a height of 168 cm, the leg length is 90 cm, then this is ideal.

The length of the legs should be measured from the protrusion of the femur to the floor. In cases where the legs are somewhat shorter than the accepted norm, shoes with heels will help change this ratio, since visually they eliminate the existing imbalance.

The diameter of the leg at the calf, depending on the body type, ranges from 36 to 40 centimeters, at the ankle from 16 to 20 cm. Experts even tried to compile a table of the ideal leg shape depending on the body type.

Here are the approximate parameters: with a height of 156 and a weight of 50 - 55 kg - leg circumference at the hip from 48 to 54 cm, in the calf 31-32 cm, in the ankle 18-20 cm; with a height of 160 and a weight of 55–58 kg, the leg circumference at the thigh is from 50 to 56 cm, in the calf 32–35 cm, in the ankle 19–22 cm; with a height of 167 and a weight of 56-65 kg, the leg circumference at the hip is from 52 to 58 cm, at the calf 33-36 cm, at the ankle 22-23 cm.

And, above all, ideal legs should have three gaps between them. To do this, you need to stand in front of a large mirror and put your feet in the position - heels together, toes apart. You should see the first gap under the knees, the second at the ankles, and the third at the top closer to the hips. In other places the legs should converge.

Correct weight

Body weight depends on the body type, height and, very importantly, the age of the person. One option for calculating weight is the Quetelet index. According to this index, for women with a thin-boned body type, it is enough to have 325 g for every centimeter of height, for normal-boned women - 350 and for large-boned ones - 375 g. Then the index is multiplied by height, and the weight corresponding to your parameters is obtained.

It must be emphasized that the ideal weight of women, especially those whose height is below 160 cm, should be 10-15% less than normal. For short women, at least under 20 years of age, it is advisable to weigh 3-5 kg ​​less than normal, i.e. calculated using the Quetelet index.

As mentioned above, body weight also depends on age. The table shows the weight-to-height ratio (weight in g divided by height in cm) for women aged 15 to 40 years.

Age Body Types

(years) Thin-boned. Normocost. Wide-cut

______________________________________________________

15-18____ 315____ 325____ 355

19-25____ 325____ 345____ 370

26-39____ 335____ 360____ 380

To determine your normal weight, you need to multiply your height in cm by the weight-height coefficient corresponding to your age and body type.

Excess weight can be monitored by measuring the fat fold on the abdominal wall, above the navel, 3 cm from the midline. Its thickness should normally be from 1 to 2 cm.

Hips, waist and chest

Knowing your body circumferences - chest, waist and hips - also helps determine your body type. This indicator is called “whites”.

Normal whites indicators for young women (18 - 28 years old) of a normosthenic body type can be considered if the chest circumference is equal to half the height plus 2-5 cm, for the bust - chest circumference plus 8-10 cm, for the waist - standing height, minus 100, the hips should be approximately 25-30 cm larger than the waist circumference. For thin-boned women, it can be considered normal if their chest circumference is in the range of 84-86 cm, and their bust is plus 4-6 cm to the indicated figures.

Their waist is usually thin, ranging from 60-64 cm, and their hip circumference is approximately 25-30 cm larger. In women with a broad-boned body type, the chest circumference exceeds half the height by 8-10 cm, chest - by another 8-10 cm. The waist circumference with a height of 166-168 cm is within 70-76 cm, and the hip circumference is larger by the same 25-30 cm.

Devendra Singh, a professor of psychology at the University of Texas, came to approximately the same conclusion in the early nineties. Only he calculated the proportion between the hips and waist as a percentage. According to his theory, the ideal proportions are those in which the waist volume is from 60 to 70% of the hip volume.

To do this, you need to divide the waist volume by the hip volume, the resulting coefficient should be from 0.6 to 0.7. By the way, the ideal beauties according to this ratio are: Venus de Milo - 70% and Nude by Rubens, the same 70%. But among real women, the ideal waist-to-hip ratios are: Marilyn Monroe 0.61, Brigitte Bardot 0.66, Demi Moore 0.72, Claudia Schiffer 0.67, Cindy Crawford 0.69, Gisele Bundchen 0.70, Kylie Minogue 0.70.

Doctors believe that the ratio of waist circumference to hip circumference should not exceed the endocrine balance coefficient, which is 0.85. If your waist does not exceed 85% of your hips, then your figure is in perfect order both from an aesthetic and medical point of view.

Time moves forward, new criteria for assessing the beauty of a female figure appear.

The latest analysis of the results of an anthropometric examination of women, carried out in our country at the beginning of 2000, showed significant changes in body proportions. Young women have longer arms and legs, a higher waistline, wider shoulders with the same body size, and improved posture.

So we can conclude that the young and middle generations of women have become taller and slimmer than the previous generation. Well, if your parameters do not match the ideal ones, don’t be upset! Still, the most important thing in a woman is her individuality and, of course, her well-groomed appearance.

Typically, representatives of the fairer sex are interested in ideal waist sizes. However, its girth is an equally important indicator of men's health. And the first impression of a man largely depends on his waist. So, what should be its optimal dimensions? When should you think about reducing her girth?

About the normal waist in men

For representatives of the stronger half of humanity, it is not customary to compare this indicator with others, as is usually done in relation to the female sex. For ladies, the waist circumference is always correlated with the parameters of the hips, chest and height. But among representatives of the stronger sex, the waist circumference is not commensurate with height, weight and chest volume. It is normally 90-94 centimeters and is the same for men of any height, build and constitution. If this figure exceeds 96 centimeters, this is the first stage of obesity, at least. And this, in turn, leads to the development of other diseases, for example, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases. It is the latter, let us remind you, that lead in our country as the cause of mortality.

Research has proven that an extra 10 centimeters at the waist is a risk of developing cancer. The vessels will also suffer, because cholesterol is deposited in them and blood clots develop; An increased load will also be placed on the musculoskeletal system, which carries a lot of unnecessary things. And a waist whose girth exceeds 96 centimeters leads to problems with potency. What kind of man can voluntarily agree to be impotent?

As for the waist circumference itself, this is done using a measuring tape along the waistband of the trousers, provided that they fit perfectly on the man. You can simply measure along the body, while retreating 3-4 centimeters from the lower ribs in front and loosely applying the tape in a circle. It is usually not difficult to measure the waist of men who take care of themselves. But if they already have a “drawn” tummy, then this is more difficult to do.

How can a man lose weight around his waist?

Nutritionists emphasize that representatives of the stronger sex only need to eat right and exercise to achieve a normal waist. Compared to women, they have a faster metabolism. The unhealthy foods that men love include fast food, processed foods, fried, flour, and smoked foods. Alcohol in all its varieties most often leads to the fact that a man’s waist disappears and his stomach begins to round. And the first in the ranking of alcohol that helps with this is beer.

To normalize body parameters, you should not switch to low-fat foods. You just need to reduce portions, not eat at night and drink more water. The latter is the basis for healthy metabolism and rapid weight loss. It is necessary to increase the amount of fruits and vegetables in the menu, lean meat and dairy products, and cereals.

A healthy lifestyle also means a man’s physical activity.

To eliminate extra pounds around the waist, you need to perform a number of exercises:

1. Squats. They perfectly train the abdominal muscles. You need to squat slowly, first just with your arms extended forward, then with weights (dumbbells). In this case, the legs should be placed in the starting position shoulder width apart. In a half squat, your hips should form a 90 degree angle with the floor. Fat will disappear from the stomach and thighs.
2. Body tilts. Like squats, they must first be performed with the arm extended towards the inclination, then connect weights. At the end point you need to linger to work the lateral muscles.
3. Twisting. This is the name for turning the body to the sides, with maximum abdominal tension. The body must be rotated 180 degrees.
4. "Vacuum". This exercise, popular among bodybuilders, helps not only burn fat, but also make the stomach flat and the waist thin. The essence of the exercise is to draw in the abdomen. This must be done with maximum force, holding your breath until slight pain appears. Thus, the surrounding abdominal muscle is strengthened and excess fat is removed from this area.
5. Pushups. They help maintain the tone of the whole body, increase endurance and train the abdominal muscles.

All exercises should be started with several repetitions, and their number should be increased gradually.

Morning jogging, swimming, football or another sport that a man likes helps improve body parameters, lose extra centimeters not only from the waist, become stronger and healthier.

So, arm yourself with a measuring tape!

What should be the normal waist size for men? This indicator is very important for health. Fat deposits in the waist area are a sign of a dangerous type of obesity - abdominal-visceral. It is this type of excess fat deposits that leads to illness and sometimes premature death.

How does waist size affect your health?

Normally, a man’s waist circumference should be no more than 94 cm. Even exceeding this figure to 100 cm is a sign of excess fat. A waist circumference greater than 102 cm indicates obesity.

Even if the weight remains within the acceptable range, excess fat deposits around the waist negatively affect health and life expectancy. Obesity in the abdominal area leads to high cholesterol levels, cardiovascular diseases, and a predisposition to cancer pathologies. This is due to the fact that fat deposits create a high load on internal organs and the musculoskeletal system. Potency often suffers as well. Doctors have concluded that every extra 5 cm of waist circumference shortens a man’s life by about 15-17%.

You can determine whether the size of the waist zone is normal based on the man’s height. The waist should be no more than 1⁄2 of the height in girth. If the ratio is more than 0.53, then this should be alarming. An index of 0.58 indicates obesity.

Men often say that they have a hereditary tendency to develop belly fat. But in most cases this is not the case. Only 25% of a person's body composition is determined by genetics. Everything else depends on the person’s diet and lifestyle.

What is abdominal visceral obesity

To understand whether a person suffers from this type of obesity, it is necessary to know the size of the waist and hips. Measurements are taken with an ordinary tailor's centimeter, placing the tape 2 cm above the level of the umbilical line. This is how the waist circumference is measured. Hips are measured at their widest part.

If the ratio of these values ​​is less than 1, then this indicates the absence of abdominal-visceral obesity. If the index exceeds 1, then you should worry about your health.

Obesity can be detected in other ways. To do this, squeeze the fold of fat on your stomach between two fingers. If it is more than 2 cm, then you should seriously think about losing weight.

Abdominal-visceral obesity is most common in men. In this case, fat forms around the internal organs. In the future, this can lead to impaired glucose metabolism and the development of diabetes mellitus. Fat metabolism is also disrupted, which leads to hypercholesterolemia and cardiovascular pathologies.

The following types of fat deposits in the waist area in men can be distinguished:

1. Loose belly. This indicates excess fat under the skin.
2. Ball shaped belly. A firm abdominal wall does not mean a lack of fat. In this case, fat accumulations are deposited mainly on the internal organs.
3. "Beer Belly". This also indicates obesity in the area of ​​internal organs. In this case, the stomach has an egg shape.

Most often, such obesity occurs in men after 30-35 years, when testosterone production in the body decreases.

Causes of abdominal-visceral obesity

Most often, waist size increases due to excess nutrition and a passive lifestyle. But other causes of abdominal-visceral obesity can be identified:

1. Hormonal changes. At the age of about 40 years, the production of male hormones decreases. Testosterone maintains normal metabolism in the body. As soon as the production of this hormone decreases, the amount of the female hormone estrogen in the body increases. Excess fat appears in the abdominal area. Adipose tissue produces the hormone leptin, which suppresses the function of the male gonads, which causes problems with potency.
2. Stress factor. During mental overload, the body begins to accumulate fat, creating reserves. In addition, some men have the habit of relieving stress with large quantities of food and alcohol.
3. Age-related changes in body weight. The older a person is, the slower his metabolism works. With a sedentary lifestyle, this can lead to obesity.
4. . Many men, after giving up a bad habit, begin to lean on fatty, spicy and sweet foods.

It must be remembered that the problem is not only the unaestheticness of a large belly. Extra centimeters on the waist are dangerous to health, and getting rid of them is not so easy.

How to reduce your waist

Reducing belly fat is more difficult than simply losing weight. Often, a man’s weight remains normal, but his waist size significantly exceeds acceptable values. It is possible to remove extra centimeters if you follow the following rules:

1. No need to go on a strict diet and go hungry. This usually backfires. When cells suddenly stop receiving nutrition, they begin to accumulate fat and gain weight. It is better to reduce your diet by about 300 kilocalories. It is useful to change your diet, eat little but often. You need to stop eating foods rich in carbohydrates and animal fats, while vegetable fats can be consumed without restrictions. Separate meals can also be beneficial. This diet will lead to a decrease in the number and volume of fat cells.
2. When working out in the gym, you need to pay attention to your abdominal muscles.. Exercise forces the body to produce more testosterone, this hormone fights visceral fat deposits. But at the same time, you must eat right, otherwise the fat deposits will not disappear, but will remain under a layer of muscle. It is useful to engage in sports that develop breathing: swimming, martial arts, running, fast walking.
3. Need to fight constipation and bloating. This can also cause an increase in waist size. Processed food that lingers in the intestines begins to rot, which causes the formation of gases. You need to regularly do yoga exercises with wave-like movements of the abdomen, thus massaging the internal organs.

Conclusion

We can conclude that extra centimeters at the waist is a signal of beginning abdominal-visceral obesity. To avoid this pathology, it is urgent to change your lifestyle and diet.

A prominent belly gives a man solidity - one of the most common excuses for overweight in the stronger sex. Doctors insist that there is nothing to be proud of, since obesity is the worst thing that can happen to a man.

What are the dangers of being overweight, and at what waist size should representatives of the stronger sex urgently run to the doctors? Candidate of Medical Sciences, andrologist-urologist Andrey Bessarabov.

Dangerous area

- If recently excess weight was considered an alarming symptom and a risk factor, today the World Health Organization has officially included obesity in the international classification of diseases as a self-sufficient diagnosis.

“Labor callus” is not a passive depot of fat, but an active organ of the endocrine system, since it produces the fat hormone - leptin, which leads, in particular, to a decrease in testosterone. A man grows a new additional organ in his waist area, which nature did not provide for, and this newly formed organ begins to work against its owner.

Experts have proven that obesity reduces immunity, causes hypertension and is associated with twenty types of cancer. Nothing ages the body as quickly as being overweight. The stomach, like a magnet, absorbs everything bad that can be taken in, accumulates it all... and the destruction of the body begins. If a man has a belly, from my andrological point of view, he will undoubtedly have problems below the belt - in terms of erection and in terms of reproduction.

Previously, they didn’t even know the word “testosterone”, but our people are observant, they said this: “The navel grows, but the tip withers.” Popular wisdom even then showed that if a man has a big belly, there will be no benefit.

- Many people have heard about testosterone even now, but few know what it is and how important its presence is in the male body.

Let's remind you. Testosterone is the most important of the male sexual hormones, androgens. It performs a bunch of functions in the male body. This pile can be divided into two smaller piles.

The first “bunch” is androgenic. These include puberty, sexual desire, body hair growth, aggressiveness, spermatogenesis and general vitality.

The second important “bunch” is metabolic. With the active participation of testosterone, muscles grow, red blood cells are formed, tissues are regenerated, fat is burned, and lipid metabolism occurs in the liver.

Simply put, from the brain to the bones, from the skin to the nails, testosterone is needed everywhere. Its deficiency serves as the “beginning of the beginning” of all subsequent problems. In the context of our topic, it should be emphasized that obesity can be both a cause and a consequence of testosterone deficiency.

- What should a man do if the button on the waistband of his trousers is not fastened?

It's time to act. First, take the measuring tape that tailors use and measure yourself. If your waist is more than 94 cm, this is an alarm signal.

“94 cm” is like a state border, before it you are healthy, after it... the counter is turned on and illnesses begin. If your waist circumference is more than 94 cm, this is a danger signal, immediately consult a doctor, because the risk zone has already developed into a big problem.

No discounts for height

- But men vary in height and body type. Is the figure the same for everyone - 94 cm? Or are there variations, amendments to the constitution of the body?

No options. Strange as it may seem at first glance, but in men, the waist circumference does not depend on height and overall displacement. With normal hormonal background, the waist will remain narrow, even if you are at least two meters tall. Men and women gain weight differently. If for the weaker sex an extra piece of cake evenly settles on the hips, chest and then on the waist, then for real men all the “good” will go into the stomach. With male obesity, the arms and legs can remain in athletic shape for quite a long time, and all the excess weight will be concentrated in the waist area, forming the “devil's axis” - this is what doctors in the professional circle call excess fatty tissue in this part of the male body. At the same time, unlike women who begin to panic with every extra kilogram, men usually come to their senses when more than a dozen extra kilos have already been accumulated.

Insidious drink

- People have awarded the male belly with a lot of juicy epithets: “a bundle of nerves”, “swing of love”, “airbag”, “labor callus”, “beer container”... They say that with beer a man’s belly grows by leaps and bounds. Is this a myth or reality?

And not only the stomach, but also the hips and chest. Beer is a high-calorie drink and also warms up the appetite. It is not known what causes “foamy” drinkers to gain weight more: from malt, hops, yeast in the composition of this drink, or from chips and nuts, which are consumed in immeasurable quantities “with beer”.

But the drink itself is insidious for the male figure. In our environment, beer is called “male contraceptive.” It contains substances that are similar in chemical structure to female sex hormones - phyto-estrogens. We lean on beer - phyto-estrogens begin to inhibit testosterone - testosterone decreases - the belly and everything else begins to grow. Testosterone and fat have a mutual guarantee.

What's next? One day you will look down at yourself and you won't see your legs. Only he will be in front of your eyes - your stomach. In addition to all the problems in life, they have also acquired this one: driving in a car is cramped, and sex turns into a sumo fight. Intimacy does not bring satisfaction: “I don’t want”, “I can’t”, “everything hurts”, “the whole world is black”... He doesn’t need anything, turned to the wall and sleeps - this is a “portrait” of a man with low testosterone.

- So what to do?

Lose weight. Overweight men are doomed to a rapid deterioration in their health: physical, sexual, mental - a crisis awaits you on all fronts. If you don’t want to die at 60, having spent two decades before with shortness of breath, tachycardia, take it at night, or you can put your tummy in order a little and testosterone increases and the quality of life will be different. The easiest way to lose excess weight is simple walking: 20 - 30 minutes in the morning and evening. If you are overweight, running is not recommended. Secondly, fat is not taken from the air, therefore, you need to eat less. Reduce portions if necessary change your menu. It is useful to have a hearty breakfast before 9 am. Thirdly, drink a sufficient amount of liquid - 2 - 3 liters per day (soups, broths, kefir, juices, etc. are not included in this volume). But on these issues it is better to consult with nutritionists.

From the point of view of andrology, there are methods of therapeutic treatment in the presence of testosterone deficiency due to obesity.

- The peculiarity of our Russian male mentality is that men rarely turn to andrologists.

This is a big problem. Our men are embarrassed to come and say that they seem to be “not eagles.” They are ashamed to admit it, but they are not ashamed to BE sick. When the problem can no longer be lifted with two fingers, they begin to rush around in search of a miraculous elixir or ask the Almighty: “If you did it in a way that I can’t do, then do it in a way that I don’t want to.” In many cases, their spouses make an appointment with an andrologist and bring their wives by the hand. In recent years, the attitude of our men towards their health has begun to change, but these changes can hardly be called cardinal.