57 A Christian Guide to Body Stewardship, Diet and Exercise Figure 3.10. Changes in Body Composition as a Result of Regular Exercise Waist circumference (WC). Waist circumference is a measurement taken around the abdomen at the level of the umbilicus and used to assess health risk. As mentioned previously, there is a strong correlation between excessive abdominal fat and a number of metabolic disorders and diseases. In fact, research has shown an increase in health risk with every one-inch increase in waist circumference (Peterson & Rittenhouse, 2019). The relative risk categories for WC are provided in Table 3.7. Table 3.7. Relative Health Risk Categories for Waist Circumference Health Risk Category Males Females Very Low < 31.5 in. < 27.5 in. Low 31.5 - 39.0 in. 27.5 - 35.0 in. High 39.5 - 47.0 in. 35.5 - 43.0 in. Very High > 47.0 in. > 43.5 in. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR). Waist-to-hip ratio is the ratio of the circumference of the waist to that of the hips. WHR is calculated by dividing the waist measurement (taken at the level of the umbilicus) by the hip measurement [waist (in.) / hips (in.)]. WC and WHR may be even better predictors of health risk than percent body fat since both methods take into consideration the location of fat and not just the amount. Relative risk ratings for WHR are provided in Table 3.8. Table 3.8. Relative Health Risk Ratings for Waist to Hip Ratio Gender Excellent Good Average At Risk Males < 0.85 0.85 - 0.89 0.90 - 0.95 ≥ 0.95 Females < 0.75 0.75 - 0.79 0.80 - 0.86 ≥ 0.86 Body mass index (BMI). BMI provides a descriptive ratio between body weight and height. Although BMI may be a relatively accurate predictor of health risk for most individuals, it has been shown to over predict health risk for individuals who are extremely muscular or have large frames. Additionally, BMI has been shown to under predict health risk for older individuals with decreased muscle mass and excess body fat. BMI is calculated by dividing one’s weight in
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