The key to living longer, according to a new study by researchers at the University of the City of London, is having a waist circumference that is no more than half of our height, in centimeters. A formula which, according to the researchers, applies to both women and men, regardless of their age or ethnic origin. Thus, a man or a woman who measures 170cm, should not exceed 85 cm of waist circumference. For 180cm, the waist circumference should not be more than 90cm, etc.
How to measure your waistline
The London researchers also explain what is the procedure to follow to measure your waistline perfectly: you have to place your tape measure between the last rib and the hip bone and make sure that you are not breathing. And don’t cheat by tightening the tape measure!
If the result meets the formula of the London researchers, you have a “normal” life expectancy, ie 85 years for women and 78.7 years for men.
On the other hand, for every centimeter of waist size more, you lose a few months of life expectancy. “If your waistline is 60% of your height, you lose 1.7 years of life expectancy,” scientists explain.
A more reliable indicator than the BMI
To make their calculations, researchers at London University studied the medical records of more than 300,000 adults, spanning a period of 20 years. “The waistline is important because it indicates the amount of abdominal fat which is linked to a high rate of cholesterol, to diabetes and to cardiovascular illnesses“says Dr Margaret Ashwell, lead author of the study.
She also believes that this waist-to-height ratio is a much more reliable indicator of health and obesity problems than body mass index (BMI) yet widely used by physicians.
