To determine if you have a healthy waist to hip ratio, use a measuring tape to measure the circumference of your hips at the widest part of your buttocks. Then measure your waist at the smaller circumference of your natural waist, usually just above the belly button.
To determine the ratio, divide your waist measurement by your hip measurement.
Research shows that people with "apple-shaped" bodies (with more weight around the waist) face more health risks than those with "pear-shaped" bodies who carry more weight around the hips.
This test should be used as a guideline and is based on information found in The Section of Diabetes and Clinical Nutrition, University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
