A recommendation has been made by a NHS watchdog for people to keep their waistline measurement at less than half their height, to help keep health problems at bay.
For the first time, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says adults with a body mass index (BMI) under 35 should measure their own waist-to-height ratio as part of wider plans to tackle obesity.
A BMI of 18 to 25 is considered a healthy weight, 25 to 30 is overweight, and over 30 is obese.
Nice said that by using a waist-to-height ratio, together with BMI, people can work out whether they are carrying excess fat around their middle, which is known to push up the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
Anyone wishing to find out their waist to height ratio can use an online calculator or could ask a health professional to work it out for them.
As an example, a 5ft 4in female with waist circumference of 29in would have a healthy ratio, but 32in would push them into the unhealthy range.
Meanwhile, a man who is 5ft 10in would be at increased health risks with a 36in waist.
The guideline says a healthy waist to height ratio is 0.4 to 0.49, indicating no increased health risks.
A ratio of 0.5 to 0.59 puts people at increased risk of health issues, while 0.6 or more puts them at the highest risk of health problems.
The guideline recommends, in line with international guidance, using lower BMI thresholds for overweight and obesity for people from south Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, black African, or African-Caribbean backgrounds.
These groups are more prone to carrying weight around their middle and have higher health risks at lower BMIs.
It also sets out ways to assess childhood obesity and says tailored plans should be considered for children with a high BMI or a waist-to-height ratio above 0.5.
Dr Paul Chrisp of Nice said: “Our updated draft guideline offers people a simple and effective way of measuring their weight so they can understand the factors that could impact on their health and take action to address them.
“Our committee found that a clear benefit of using the waist-to-height ratio is that people can easily measure it themselves, interpret the results, and seek medical advice if they are at increased health risk.”
The draft guidance is subject to consultation.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here