Medically reviewed by Amelia MacIntyre, DO You should measure your waist between the lowest rib and the top of your hip.Avoid measuring your waist over bulky clothing to get the most accurate results.

The average waist size for U.S. women is 38.5 inches, indicating widespread abdominal obesity. Larger waist sizes are linked with increased risks of chronic diseases, like heart disease and diabetes.

Body size and excess weight, conventionally assessed using body mass index (BMI), are well-established risk factors for many types of cancer. However, new research to be presented at this year’s ...

While obesity remains a pressing public health threat, prevention and treatment are made difficult by the limits of the BMI to accurately measure excess adiposity, according to the study’s authors.

Objective Low body fat and high physical activity levels are key lifestyle factors in cancer prevention, but the interplay of abdominal obesity and physical activity on cancer risk remains unknown. We ...