Waist - wikipedia Waist For other uses, see Waist ( disambiguation ). Not to be confused with waste. This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( February 2015 ) Waist The human waist Identifiers FMA 228775 Anatomical terminology ( edit on Wikidata ) The waist is the part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips. On people with slim bodies, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso. The waistline refers to the horizontal line where the waist is narrowest, or to the general appearance of the waist. Contents 1 Structure 1.1 Waist measurement 1.2 Waist -- hip ratio 2 Society and culture 2.1 Fashion 2.2 Waist reduction and training 3 History 3.1 Etymology 4 See also 5 References 6 External links Structure Because of this and because the waist is often synonymous with the stomach, one can become confused as to the exact location of the waist. Another confusing factor is that the waistline differs on different people. A study showed that self - reported measurements as opposed to measurement done by a technician, underestimated waist circumference and this underestimation increased with increased body size. In the study, waist circumference measured at the level of the umbilicus was larger than that measured at the natural waist. To locate the natural waistline, one need simply stand upright and then tilt over to the side keeping the legs and hips straight. Where the torso creases is the natural waistline. Waist measurement Strictly, the waist circumference is measured at a level midway between the lowest rib and the iliac crest. An alternative approximation of high relevance in anthropometry is Small of the Back ( SOB ) + 2cm. In anthropometrics, the location of the waist ( height ) can be predicted as 72 % of the neck height, or between the iliac crest ( 60 % of total height ) and the lowest palpable rib ( 64 % of total height ). The waist - hip ratio equals the waist circumference divided by the hip circumference. Practically, however, the waist is usually measured at the smallest circumference of the natural waist, usually just above the belly button. In case the waist is convex rather than concave, such as is the case in pregnancy and obesity, the waist may be measured at a vertical level 1 inch above the navel. It is important to note that variables such as posture significantly influence the measurement of the waist, and therefore any measurements for a group need to maintain a constant posture between the subjects. The size of a person 's waist or waist circumference, indicates abdominal obesity. Excess abdominal fat is a risk factor for developing heart disease and other obesity related diseases. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute ( NHLBI ) classifies the risk of obesity - related diseases as high if men have a waist circumference greater than 102 cm ( 40 in ) and women have a waist circumference greater than 88 cm ( 35 in ). A study published in the European Heart Journal April 2007 showed that waist circumference and waist - hip ratio were predictors of cardiovascular events. Waist -- hip ratio Main article : Waist -- hip ratio Waist -- hip ratio is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. It measures the proportion by which fat is distributed around the torso. Waist -- hip ratios of 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men have been shown to correlate strongly with general health and fertility. Colloquially this shape is compared to the hourglass shape. Society and culture Fashion In modern clothing the region referred to as the waist is considerably below the waist as defined anatomically. With the advent of pants and skirts that do not require support from above, the clothing waist moved down to a position where the body starts to expand to form the buttocks and a support is therefore available. However, the waist region remains a highly important measurement and anthropometric landmark in garment construction. Jewellery, such as a belly chain, may be worn around either the clothing or anatomical waist. Waist reduction and training Waist reduction or waist training refer to the act of wearing a corset or other constricting garment to reduce or alter the waistline. The four floating ribs may be permanently compressed or moved by such garments. A girdle may also be used to alter the appearance of the waist. Waist reduction may be used simply to reduce the width of the waist. This change can be permanent or temporary. Waist training may be used to achieve a certain permanent waist shape, such as a pipe - stem waist. History Etymology Definition : `` middle part of the body, '' also `` part of a garment fitted for the waist, portion of a garment that covers the waist '' ( but, due to fashion styles, often above or below it ), probably from Old English * wæst `` growth, '' hence, `` where the body grows, '' from Proto - Germanic * wahs - tu - ( cognates : Old English wæstm, Old Norse vöxtr, Swedish växt, Old High German wahst `` growth, increase, '' Gothic wahstus `` stature, '' Old English weaxan `` to grow ''. See also Look up waist in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Abdominal obesity Alvinolagnia Belly dance Body modification Human body Midriff Navel Rib removal Waist -- hip ratio Waist - to - height ratio Category : Corsetry Hourglass corset Tightlacing Training corset Waist cincher Waistcoat References Jump up ^ Bigaard, Janne ; Spanggaard, Iben ; Thomsen, Birthe Lykke ; Overvad, Kim ( 1 September 2005 ). `` Self - Reported and Technician - Measured Waist Circumferences Differ in Middle - Aged Men and Women ''. The Journal of Nutrition. 135 ( 9 ) : 2263 -- 2270. Jump up ^ ( 1 ) Han, T. ; Van Leer, E. ; Seidell, J. ; Lean, M. ( 1995 ). `` Waist circumference action levels in the identification of cardiovascular risk factors : prevalence study in a random sample ''. BMJ ( Clinical research ed. ). 311 ( 7017 ) : 1401 -- 1405. doi : 10.1136 / bmj. 311.7017. 1401. PMC 2544423. PMID 8520275. Jump up ^ Gill, Simeon ; Parker, Christopher J. ( 2014 ). `` The True Height of the Waist : Explorations of Automated Body Scanner Waist Definitions of the TC2 scanner ''. Proc. of 5th Int. Conf. on 3D Body Scanning Technologies : 55 -- 65. doi : 10.15221 / 14.055. Retrieved 1 May 2018. Jump up ^ Gill, Simeon ; Parker, Christopher J. ( 2014 ). `` The True Height of the Waist : Explorations of Automated Body Scanner Waist Definitions of the TC2 scanner ''. Proc. of 5th Int. Conf. on 3D Body Scanning Technologies : 55 -- 65. doi : 10.15221 / 14.055. Retrieved 1 May 2018. Jump up ^ Waist To Hip Calculator at University of Maryland Medical System. Retrieved Dec 2010 Jump up ^ ( 2 ) Brown JE, Potter JD, Jacobs DR, et al. ( January 1996 ). `` Maternal waist - to - hip ratio as a predictor of newborn size : Results of the Diana Project ''. Epidemiology. 7 ( 1 ) : 62 -- 6. doi : 10.1097 / 00001648 - 199601000 - 00011. PMID 8664403. Jump up ^ Gill, Simeon ; Parker, Christopher J. ( 2017 ). `` Scan posture definition and hip girth measurement : the impact on clothing design and body scanning ''. Ergonomics. 60 ( 8 ) : 1123 -- 1136. doi : 10.1080 / 00140139.2016. 1251621. Jump up ^ `` Obesity Education Initiative, Aim for a Healthy Weight ''. Jump up ^ Lawrence de Koning ; Merchant, AT ; Pogue, J ; Anand, SS ( 2007 ). `` Waist circumference and waist - to - hip ratio as predictors of cardiovascular events : meta - regression analysis of prospective studies ''. European Heart Journal. 28 ( 7 ) : 850 -- 6. doi : 10.1093 / eurheartj / ehm026. PMID 17403720. Jump up ^ Female Body Characteristics Related to Bra Fit - Page 20, 2007 Jump up ^ Gill, Simeon ; Parker, Christopher J. ( 2016 ). `` Scan posture definition and hip girth measurement : the impact on clothing design and body scanning ''. Ergonomics. 60 ( 8 ) : 1123 -- 1136. doi : 10.1080 / 00140139.2016. 1251621. Retrieved 1 May 2018. Jump up ^ `` waist - Origin and meaning of waist by Online Etymology Dictionary ''. www.etymonline.com. External links `` Waist ''. Encyclopædia Britannica ( 11th ed. ). 1911. Measured average height, weight, and waist circumference for adults ages 20 years and over ( U.S. ) Human regional anatomy Head Ear Face Cheek Chin Eye Mouth Nose Forehead Jaw Occiput Scalp Temple Neck Adam 's apple Throat Trunk Abdomen Waist Midriff Navel Back Thorax Breast Pelvis Sex organs Limbs Arm Shoulder Axilla Brachium Elbow Forearm Wrist Hand Finger Thumb Index Middle Ring Little Leg Buttocks Hip Thigh Knee Calf Foot Ankle Heel Sole Toe Other Écorché General anatomy : systems and organs, regional anatomy, planes and lines, superficial axial anatomy, superficial anatomy of limbs Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Waist&oldid=864048239 '' Categories : Abdomen Secondary sexual characteristics Hidden categories : Articles needing additional references from February 2015 All articles needing additional references Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference Talk Contents About Wikipedia Aymar aru Български Brezhoneg Català Dansk Deutsch Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Iñupiak Italiano עברית ಕನ್ನಡ Kiswahili Latgaļu Lietuvių მარგალური Bahasa Melayu Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Polski Português Русский संस्कृतम् Simple English Svenska Tagalog தமிழ் తెలుగు Українська Winaray 粵語 中文 33 more Edit links This page was last edited on 14 October 2018, at 19 : 27 ( UTC ). 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Question: where is the waist located on the body
Answer: part of the abdomen between the rib cage and hips