Measuring your middle

To see if your belly fat is a concern, measure your waist:

• Stand and place a tape measure around your bare stomach, just above your hipbone.
• Pull the tape measure until it fits snugly, but it doesn't push into the skin. Make sure the tape measure is level all the way around.
• Relax, exhale and measure your waist. Don't suck in your stomach as you measure.

For women, a waist measurement of more than 35 inches (89 centimeters) signals an unhealthy amount of belly fat and a greater risk of health problems. In general, though, the greater the waist measurement, the higher the health risks.