Healthy living
Diet and weight loss
Why is that waistband so tight?
Fooling yourself about the size of your waist is all too common – and it could be important, say scientists
Are you as trim as you think? Probably not - a new study has found that most of us underestimate our waist size by up to three inches. And the consequences can be more serious than permanently tight trousers or skirts: health professionals are worried that we may be ignoring one of the major warning signs of type two diabetes.
Researchers at Leicester University asked over 500 men and women to estimate the size of their waist and then compared it to the real thing. Men appeared to be the most deluded, underestimating their girth by more than three inches, while women tended to cut an average of two inches off their waistlines – enough to drop a dress size.
Carrying extra fat around your middle is one of the major risk factors associated with developing type two diabetes – 80 per cent of people diagnosed are overweight. The condition can lead to serious complications including heart attack, stroke, kidney disease and blindness.
“As we grow older the risk of developing type two diabetes increases which makes it even more important to keep an eye on our waistlines,” says Cathy Moulton, care advisor at Diabetes UK, “Don’t ignore an expanding abdomen and put it down to ‘middle-age spread’ – get out the tape measure and see if you could be at risk.”
According to Diabetes UK women with a waist measurement of 31.5 inches (80cm) or more are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Men should try to keep their middles below 37 inches (94cm), although South Asian men who are genetically more at risk should try and trim down to less than 35 inches (90cm).
To measure yourself, hold the tape at the mid-point between the top of the hipbone and the lowest rib. The measurement should be taken while breathing out and the tape measure should hug but not compress the skin.
Moulton points out that up to 750,000 people in the UK people have diabetes without realising it. “People can have diabetes for 10 years or more before being diagnosed because symptoms like tiredness and an increasing need to pee are put down to the signs of ageing,” says Moulton. “If you are feeling off colour and think you might be at risk get tested – it’s quick and painless.”
“There’s nothing you can do about getting older,” says Moulton, “but you can give your body a fighting chance by losing a few inches around the waist and following a healthy diet and exercising.”
More on diabetes
- What's your risk of diabetes?
- Calculate your diabetes risk
- Prevent type 2 diabetes
- Medical conditions factfinder: type 2 diabetes
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- Calorie culprits: find out why you're not losing weight
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- Weight gain excuses: it's not my fault I'm getting fatter, or is it?
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Information on this site is for interest only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should consult your own doctor about any specific health concerns.