Waist
Encyclopedia
Rib cage
The rib cage is an arrangement of bones in the thorax of animals. It is formed by the vertebral column, ribs and sternum and encloses the heart and lungs....
and hips
Hip (anatomy)
In vertebrate anatomy, hip refer to either an anatomical region or a joint.The hip region is located lateral to the gluteal region , inferior to the iliac crest, and overlying the greater trochanter of the femur, or "thigh bone"...
. On proportionate
Body proportions
While there is significant variation in anatomical proportions between people, there are many references to body proportions that are intended to be canonical, either in art, measurement, or medicine....
people, the waist is the narrowest part of the torso
Torso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
.
The waistline refers to the horizontal line where the waist is narrowest, or to the general appearance of the waist. People who diet
Dieting
Dieting is the practice of eating food in a regulated fashion to achieve or maintain a controlled weight. In most cases dieting is used in combination with physical exercise to lose weight in those who are overweight or obese. Some athletes, however, follow a diet to gain weight...
are often said to be trying to "improve" their waistline.
Women tend to have narrower waists than men.
Fashion
The waistline of clothingWaistline (clothing)
The waistline is the line of demarcation between the upper and lower portions of a garment, which notionally corresponds to the natural waist but may vary with fashion from just below the bust to below the hips. The waistline of a garment is often used to accentuate different features...
generally corresponds to the human waist.
Traditionally belts
Belt (clothing)
A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...
are worn around the waist.
Jewelry, such as a belly chain
Belly chain
A belly chain or waist chain is a type of body jewelry worn around the waist. Some belly chains attach to a navel piercing; these are also called "pierced belly chains". They are often made of silver or gold...
, may be worn around the waist.
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 fatFat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
is distributed around the torso
Torso
Trunk or torso is an anatomical term for the central part of the many animal bodies from which extend the neck and limbs. The trunk includes the thorax and abdomen.-Major organs:...
.
A waist-hip ratio of 0.7 for women and 0.9 for men have been shown to correlate strongly with general health and fertility
Fertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
.
Hip and buttock padding
Hip and buttock padding
Hip and buttock padding is used by some transgender people including transsexuals and cross-dressers. It is used to increase the apparent size of the hips and buttocks to resemble those of a female...
is used by some males who cross-dress as females to increase the apparent size of the hips
Hip (anatomy)
In vertebrate anatomy, hip refer to either an anatomical region or a joint.The hip region is located lateral to the gluteal region , inferior to the iliac crest, and overlying the greater trochanter of the femur, or "thigh bone"...
and buttocks
Buttocks
The buttocks are two rounded portions of the anatomy, located on the posterior of the pelvic region of apes and humans, and many other bipeds or quadrupeds, and comprise a layer of fat superimposed on the gluteus maximus and gluteus medius muscles. Physiologically, the buttocks enable weight to...
to resemble those of a female.
Waist measurement
Rib
In vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...
and the iliac crest
Iliac crest
-External links: - "Superficial muscles of the gluteal region and posterior thigh." - "Anterior Abdominal Wall: Osteology and Surface Anatomy " - "The Back, Posterior View" * *...
. 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.
The size of a person's waist or waist circumference
Circumference
The circumference is the distance around a closed curve. Circumference is a special perimeter.-Circumference of a circle:The circumference of a circle is the length around it....
, indicates abdominal obesity
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health, leading to reduced life expectancy and/or increased health problems...
. Excess abdominal fat is a risk factor for developing heart disease and other obesity related diseases. The National, Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) classify the risk of obesity related diseases as high if: men have a waist circumference greater than 102 cm (40.2 in), and women have a waist circumference greater than 88 cm (34.6 in).
A study published in the European Heart Journal April 2007 showed waist circumference and waist-hip ratio were predictors of cardiovascular events.
Waist reduction and training
According to a study, women's waistlines have grown by 4.3 cm (1.7 in) between 1998 and 2008 from an average of 80.8 cm (31.8 in) to 85.1 cm (33.5 in) inches believed to be caused by sedentary lifestyle.Waist reduction or waist training refers to the act of wearing a corset
Corset
A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes...
or other constricting garment to reduce or alter the waistline. The four floating rib
Floating rib
Floating ribs are four atypical ribs in the human ribcage. They are called so because they are attached to the vertebrae only, and not to the sternum or cartilage coming off of the sternum. Some people are missing one of the two pairs. Others have a third pair. Most, however, possess only two...
s may be permanently compressed or moved by such garments. A girdle
Girdle
A girdle is a garment that encircles the lower torso, perhaps extending below the hips, and worn often for support. The word girdle originally meant a belt. In modern English, the term girdle is most commonly used for a form of women's foundation wear that replaced the corset in popularity...
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.
See also
- Belly chainBelly chainA belly chain or waist chain is a type of body jewelry worn around the waist. Some belly chains attach to a navel piercing; these are also called "pierced belly chains". They are often made of silver or gold...
- Navel piercingNavel piercingA navel piercing is a type of body piercing. It may heal very quickly and with no problems, like an ear piercing, or may heal more like a surface piercing with the associated extended healing time. Healing usually takes less than six months, and as long as it is cleaned, it will heal nicely...
- Waist-hip ratio
- Human physical appearanceHuman physical appearanceHuman physical appearance refers to the outward phenotype or look of human beings. There are infinite variations in human phenotypes, though society reduces the variability to distinct categories...
- FashionFashionFashion, a general term for a currently popular style or practice, especially in clothing, foot wear, or accessories. Fashion references to anything that is the current trend in look and dress up of a person...
- BeautyBeautyBeauty is a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure, meaning, or satisfaction. Beauty is studied as part of aesthetics, sociology, social psychology, and culture...
- Body modificationBody modificationBody modification is the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancement, a rite of passage, religious reasons, to display group membership or affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression...
- Abdominal obesityAbdominal obesityAbdominal obesity, colloquially known as belly fat or clinically as central obesity, is the accumulation of abdominal fat resulting in an increase in waist size...
- :Category:Corsetry
- TightlacingTightlacingTightlacing is the practice of wearing a tightly-laced corset to achieve extreme modifications to the figure and posture and experience the sensations of a very tight corset. Those who practice tightlacing are called tightlacers...
- Training corsetTraining corsetA training corset is generally a corset used in body modification. A training corset may be used for orthopedic reasons or for cosmetic reasons The term "training corset" is also sometimes used for BDSM corsets used for discipline.In addition, the...
- Hourglass corsetHourglass corsetThe hourglass corset produces a silhouette resembling the hourglass shape: wide bottom, narrow waist , wide top.-History:The first fashions worn with hourglass corsets, around 1830, emphasized width - they tended to have very wide skirts, large sleeves and sloping shoulders. These elements...
- Waist cincherWaist cincherA waist cincher is a belt worn around the waist to make the wearer's waist physically smaller, or to create the illusion of being smaller.-Today:...
corset
- Tightlacing
- Rib removalRib removalRib Removal is a surgical operation, usually performed on the lowest ribs to make the waist thinner. This is considered 'extreme' and is rarely formally documented...