The string test. Aibu to think this is a pretty clear way to show you're overweight?

[africanprincessinscotland]

I caught a bit of a BBC programme earlier where they were doing the string test. I've never heard of it before, but it makes perfect sense. If your waist measurement is more than half your height, you are overweight. And because it's around your waist, it indicates how much visceral fat you have. That's the really bad type.

So, you get a piece of string, cut it to the length of your height (heel to head), fold it in half and put it around your waist. If it doesn't meet, you're overweight. Very simple.

I know that BMI is controversial, but with this, you can't really argue against it, can you? Unless you're pregnant!

At 5 foot, 30 inch waist would probably look bigger than a 36 inch waist on someone 6 foot.

My DS2 is 5 foot 8, 30 inch waist (growing out of it, maybe 32 is better), he is definitely not the slimmest! The same waist at 5 foot (which would have been in year 4 or 5 for him) would be very substantial.

I think it makes sense - a bit more accurate than BMI as muscle isn't usually stored on the waist, and it's the midriff fat that's most likely to be damaging to your health.

I don't like it though because my BMI is just under 25 (hence NOT overweight) but I failed the string test

I’m at the top of my healthy weight range going by the BMI but my waist is 4 inches less than half my height.

This all depends on where you store fat. I'm an hourglass shape, small waist but capable of storing a lot of fat in hips/thighs. I'd be fine with this test (8months pregnant now so not a great time to test it) but apple shapes the same weight as me wouldn't be.

Those of you who are overweight, pear shaped, and pass this test; when you lose weight does your bum and thighs stay big? I ask because I have a few friends who will NEVER have a small bum or legs, however healthily they eat. But, you should be heartened that even though you're overweight, you have less chance of long term health problems that an overweight apple

The Truth About Obesity?

Doesnt work for me, I know I am overweight but my waist is under half my height as I am hour glass so most of my fat is in my arse/thighs and boobs. When I lose weight the first thing to happen is I go down a couple of cup sizes.

I don't need a piece of string to tell me I'm fat though, I already know it. I don't know anyone who is overweight that doesn't. I mean, most of us own mirrors, or at the very least catch sight of ourselves in shop windows. Most of us shop for clothes at least occasionally, so know by our clothes size too.

It is a calculation that will flatter pear-shaped women but that’s intentional because fat on your hips and arse is less dangerous than fat round your abdomen. If you’re slightly into the overweight range but your waist is still less than half your height you’re probably OK from a health POV, though you may still feel better at a lower weight.

*So if you are 6 foot, your waist cannot be bigger than 30 inches?

That's very small for a man. By about 8 inches.*

No. 6ft in inches is 72in. So the waist should be no bigger than 36 in.

African I think I can answer that....as I mentioned in my previous post, I passed the test when I was a stone overweight...I'm also a pear shape with a decent waist....so I go in and out...but have a smaller bust.

My bum and thighs weren't massive but they have stayed "larger" as in I won't ever have skinny thighs...but I am happy with the way I look now I've lost that stone. It seemed mostly to come off my hips/

I am overweight but I have a small waist in comparison to my size so it wouldn't work for me.

But thats where all my fat is.

New year - are you aware of how many inches there are to a foot?! Think you're mixing imperial and metric!

I am overweight but I have a small waist in comparison to my size so it wouldn't work for me.

but that's ^^ the point. they way your fat sits around your organs or not determines the risk to your internal organs. cardiac, liver, diabetes etc.

Where exactly is one’s waist?

My bra back size is 30 but my hips are probably about 45.

The argument that “it wouldn’t work for me” relies on the assumption that BMI is a definitive guide to what’s a healthy shape.

I’m not one of those people who argues that “rugby players have BMIs of 30 therefore it’s all bollocks”, but neither is it holy writ: it’s a rough and ready guide, and there’s a decent case to argue that where waist measurement based measures are at odds with BMI based measures, waist measurement may be a more reliable predictor of ill-health.

TheBigFatMermaid i think the point of this is to help you identify if you are carrying more weight than your should around your middle. Of course there are loads of people who know they are overweight. But I think being bigger seems to be seen as more normal these days, so I can be good to be reminded that if you carry this kind of weight, you're at a higher risk. Plus the BMI can lull us into a false sense of security sometime. By the time I get into the BMI "overweight" category, I'm way over the weight I should be.

I have 2 questions. And I’d love it if you could answer them please.

1. Where do you measure waistline? Smallest point or an inch above button? For me, smallest point has about 2 inches “give”. An inch above belly button just about meets.

1. At what point do you say the string meets?

For me, at 1 inch above belly button, I can make the ends meet but the string digs. Does that count?

If you’re slightly into the overweight range but your waist is still less than half your height you’re probably OK from a health POV, though you may still feel better at a lower weight.

This sounds like a polite way of saying “even if you’re not unhealthy you’re still fat”

I fail the test, but I also have 20% body fat and a flat stomach. I just have no waist 🤔

DeerDeer i would imagine it's your narrowest point? From my own experience of buying clothes, my waist isn't in the place that clothes designers expect it to be!!

Those saying 'but I know I am over weight, even though my waist is small' are missing the point of the programme.

The scientist leading the study explained that BMI is too crude an index when it comes to weight and health, as where you carry the weight makes a huge difference. So a rugby player with huge thighs and shoulders, is the same weight as a darts player who is all beer belly.

weight carried round your middle is carried around your internal organs and is much more dangerous than weight carried on thighs and bum

If you carry the weight round your hips you are actually not that unhealthy and at much less risk than a lighter person whp carries it all on the stomach.

I'm five 8 so technically my waist could be up to 34 inches!! That seems very large and I know for me I'd be in at least a size 16 at that size. I'm an apple shape too, small boobs and flat bum most of the time, weight on tummy and love handles, oh how I long for an hourglass shape. I'm in my 30 inch waist jeans at the moment with a little muffin top on the hips and a size 12 roughly having put on a stone since January after coming off the pill and not having the incentive to need to fit into a wedding dress anymore. I'm definitely a bit porky atm , I can tell because DH gets a bit handsy (TMI but he's definitely a bum man 😂). According to this I could gain another 4 inches on my waist! I'm just balancing the top of healthy BMI now so that would put me firmly in obese. If I lose a stone my clothes fit better and I'm solidly healthy BMI.

Serendipity that would be me. My BMI is normal, my waist is the right size. But I am definitely fat right now.