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!

Worth mentioning that even if you don't have an apple shape being overweight is not a good idea as it puts a massive extra strain on the joints. Yours, An Apple with Knackered Knees.

Sorry, this is utterly beside the point, but why do you need to go through the rigmarole of cutting and halving a piece of string? A tape measure is far simpler, which you presumably have if you have accurately measured a piece of string to your height.

Doesn't work for me. I'm a good 1.5 stone overweight. Height = 68 inches. Current waist is 30 inches.

The fact that it doesn’t work for you Bluntness doesn’t mean it has no worth as a measure. I’m 5’8” too and had a baby 7 months ago, so not my usual weight/shape, but I currently have a waist of 33inches and weigh 11 stone - a couple of months ago when I weighed 11 stone 10, I had an almost 34 inch waist. So within a healthy BMI (just!) and on the edge of acceptable by the string test. And i’m someone who normally has an hourglass figure.

I’ve definitely got abdo fat at the moment though (and muscles needing toning) because my back measurement is stil 30”. My healthy weight waist measurement is usually 27/28 so i’m significantly over my comfortable weight...don’t need anywhere near 15 stone to have a 34inch waist - 12 stone would probably do it, and that doesn’t “look” that fat (although i’d bloody feel it)

I stood on a box to do it. Think I can reward myself with a cream cake now......

My BMI indicates I'm just inside the overweight category, but I take a UK size 12 in everything. Is 12 now considered to be plus size, cos if it is, the world's surely gone mad!

I think this from Diabetes UK is a pretty good guide in terms of waists/health: '
For a healthy size, aim for less than:

80cm (31.5in) for White, Black and South Asian women
90cm (35in) for South Asian men
94cm (37in) for White and Black men.'

www.diabetes.org.uk/preventing-type-2-diabetes/waist-measurement

I'm overweight as fuck - but I'd come out quite well on that string test because I've never carried my weight around my middle - I've got an amazingly good waist compared to the rest of my body (have to take the waist of every pair of trousers I buy in a hell of a lot).

I'm still fat - just fat with a padded arse to sit down on.

There is what is called visceral fat, just because a person is thin, does not make them healthy, they could have a large amount of visceral fat round their organs. I naturally carry my weight round my bottom and thighs, and at 65 kg and 5ft 2 I know I am overweight. However I do 1 hour of cardio, HIIT workout, combat bootcamp and kickboxing a week, and eat off my ds old baby plate so I have less portion. I was measured on one of those body scanner things at the gym, and I only have 4% visceral fat and was mostly in the green zone. That does not tell you anything really.

It doesn't work for me. My BMI is technically obese, but I've always been heavy even at my slimmest (if that makes sense, I weigh more than I look - still fat though!). I have a relatively small waist for my size as in I don't carry weight there. It all goes to my hips, thighs and arms. I'm definitely overweight, but this test doesn't prove it.

A 34 inch waist is a dress size 16/18

Mine is 33 inches. I'm a 12 so that's not true

Sounds like a faff, but I’m sure it works. I hate being an apple. I’m not even allowed to pretend that being a smidgen overweight is good for me, (as I believe it is for pear shaped women).

Sounds like a waste of good yarn I could be using for knitting stuff to be honest.

Think you're built like me BamBam

I’m 5’8” and have a 34”’waist so that puts me as OK. I’m really not though, I need to lose about 2 stone. Am currently 13st8lbs and need to be around mid 11 stone to be at the upper end of healthy.

Not for me - I’m 5 stone overweight to get to the TOP of the healthy range (7stone overweight to get to the bottom of the healthy range) and my waist is only 29 inches.

Meant i do 1 hour a day of various exercises doh. Not 1 hour a week exercise.

For those who say they are overweight but the string meets at the waist, the real test is for the string to go around your waist on the level of the belly button and not on the smallest part of your waist that dips in.

Try the test around your waist where it meets your belly button - that's the test.

People seem to be getting really confused by this, saying 'it doesn't work for me.'

It is not a measure of if you're overweight or not. Some seemingly slim people fail the test and that is the use of it. It is only a measure of visceral fat, which is the fat around your organs which increases your risk of things like heart disease. This type of fat doesn't necessarily show easily on someone which is why slim people fail the test sometimes. You need to pay attention if you fail it. If you are overweight but carry the weight on your bum/hips it isn't anywhere near the same health risk although it will still put strain on your joints and does indicate you aren't eating brilliantly for your long term health. Yadda yadda yadda.

Michael Mosley did a programme on his weight a while ago. He looked completely slim externally but a scan revealed he had really quite a lot of visceral fat endangering his health. As I said, if you're slim and fail the string test, you need to make changes to your lifestyle.

The fact that it doesn’t work for you Bluntness doesn’t mean it has no worth as a measure

I think I would understand your comment if I was the only person saying it didn't work. However I'm one of many. I'm sure it does work for you, but for the vast majority of us it is not a good measurement of whether you're overweight and carrying too much weight on your tummy.

Mine is 33 inches. I'm a 12 so that's not true

Are you in the states? In the U.K., the average size 16 is a 33 inch waist in clothes.

Also, incidentally, if you have a small waist/torso and are saying you are carrying all the weight on your limbs/lower body, please have a look at whether you might have Lipoedema.

It's very little known about but might affect up to 10% of women. It's a disease.

What was the name of the BBC programme please?

The Truth About Obesity.

For ‘small waisted’ obese people - you need to measure around the navel, not the smallest part of the torso. Many short waisted women for example have ‘child bearing hips’ - where fat appears around the top of the hips but is actually around the navel. These women are still considered high risk for heart disease as they aren’t considered pear shaped. I think the term is cello shaped or something else as silly; but they are lumped in with apple and hourglass shapes for risk factors like diabetes and heart disease.

Pear shaped women carry weight lower than their navel - so thighs, bottom of the bum / hips.

An hourglass shape is healthier than an apple surely? - the weight isn't being carried around the middle.

Nope - my belly button's still level with my narrowest bits. Sorry to disappoint. I'll reserve my string for knitting with.

Yeah I'm fat as fuck - but it's all boobs and arse (there are worse places to expand I guess).