I am

Show me:

What waist measurements mean for your heart

How your waist measurement contributes to your heart health

1 min read

Waist measurement is a simple check to tell if you’re carrying excess body fat around your middle.

Your waist measurement is an indicator of the level of internal fat deposits that coat the heart, kidneys, liver, digestive organs and pancreas. 

This can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.

How to measure your waist

Find the top of your hip bone and the bottom of your ribs.
Breathe out normally.
Place the tape measure midway between these points and wrap it around your waist.
Check your measurement.

What does my measurement mean?

Your health is at risk if your waist size is:

Men:	Over 94cm (about 37 inches)*
Women:	Over 80cm (about 31.5 inches)*

You might also be interested in

Cyril credits cardiac rehab for getting his life back

Cyril suffered a heart attack in 2015. Cardiac rehab helped get his life back on track. ...

What's your BMI?

Are you within a healthy weight range for your height?...

Cholesterol and triglycerides action plan

Key steps that can help you manage your cholesterol and triglyceride levels....

10 ways to get the right balance of fats

Getting the right balance of fats in your diet can improve your heart health....

Heart Foundation recipes

Search all of our heart healthy recipes ...

Key healthy eating messages for heart attack recovery 

Eating healthy foods can help you recover and reduce your risk of more heart problems. ...

Five foods to help lower blood pressure

One the easiest steps you can take to prevent high blood pressure is choosing healthy foods....

Heart Age Calculator

Try our Heart Age Calculator to understand what contributes to your risk of heart disease....

Aboriginal heart health

Visit the St Vincents Hospital NSW and Heart Foundation Aboriginal heart health website for more information...

Heart Foundation recipes

Check out our recipe categories to find your next heart healthy meal....

Nutrition after a heart attack

Discover key information on heart-healthy eating and drinking....

Five ways to lower cholesterol

Lower your cholesterol, whether you're eating breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or even a snack....

Heart Healthy Dinner Plan

Sign up now and discover delicious, easy to follow dinner recipes. Plus shopping lists, tips and other helpful information to make healthy eating easy. ...

Are you at risk of heart disease?

There is no single cause for any one heart condition, but there are risk factors that increase your chance of developing one. ...

Kylie defied the heart attack stereotypes

Cardiac rehabilitation was a turning point for Kylie and essential to her heart failure recovery....

Nutrition action plan

Blood pressure and your heart

Understand blood pressure and how it can impact your heart health....

New diet recommendations matter to your heart

Heart-healthy eating is not about one specific food or nutrient; it’s about regularly eating a variety of healthy foods over time....

Quit smoking action plan

Blood cholesterol

Keeping your blood cholesterol at a healthy level can help you reduce your risk of heart disease and other serious conditions. ...

Norm discovered he was at risk of a major heart attack just in the nick of time

Norm didn’t worry too much about his cholesterol problem – until an angiogram revealed he had an 80 per cent blockage in a major heart artery. ...

Sodium and salt converter

Convert the sodium listed on food products into grams of salt or vice versa. ...

Dairy and your heart health

Not all dairy products are equal. Discover different types of dairy foods and their impact on heart health....

Should you be cooking with coconut oil?

25 June 2018...

Diabetes and heart disease

Diabetes is an ongoing health condition where your body’s usual ways of controlling your blood sugar, or blood glucose levels, don’t work properly. ...

Sorting fat from fiction

It seems when healthy eating is the subject, everyone wants to talk about fat. It can be a confusing and polarising topic....

Know your risk: Family history and heart disease

A family history of heart disease could mean you are at greater risk....

Spring back to heart-healthy eating with these delicious tips

With spring sprung, now is the time to get back to heart-healthy eating. ...

Fats, oils and heart health

Get the right balance of healthy fats in your diet ...

Why are you playing this game? It’s putting your heart at risk.

The game is “hide and seek”. You play it without even realising. The shock is that when you play this game, you could be placing your heart health at risk....

Reading food labels

Nutrition information panels and ingredients lists are a good way of comparing similar foods so you can choose the healthiest option....

You’ll love our heart-healthy winter recipes

Fruit, vegetables and heart health

How to boost your fruit and vegetable intake to help protect your heart. ...

What is a healthy body weight?

Find out what a healthy body weight is and the steps you can take to achieve it. ...

Healthy eating to protect your heart

What does a heart-friendly diet look like?...

Time to book a Heart Health Check?

If you're 45 and over, or 30 and over if you're of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, you should book your Heart Health Check today...

9 food and heart health myths, busted

Let’s dive into nine common food and health myths and the facts behind them....

Heart-healthy drinks

While water is clearly the most heart-healthy drink, there are ther drinks that can be enjoyed in moderation. ...

Heart health information in your language

A selection of heart health information brochures in a range languages...

How to make healthier meals at home

Cooking at home is often healthier than eating out....

Mental health and heart disease

Having a mental health condition can have a negative impact on your heart health and increase your risk of heart disease....

Protein and heart health

What are the best sources of protein when it come to your heart health...

Risk factors for women

In Australia, 90% of women have one risk factor for heart disease, and 50% have two or more. ...

Is salt bad for your heart?

Most Australians are eating more than the recommended amounts and this can cause health problems....

Smoking and your heart

Understand how smoking can impact your heart health. ...

Wholegrains and heart health

All you need to know about wholegrains to put you on the right track...

Heart Foundation Recovery Support and Resources

Heart Foundation programs and resources to support your recovery....

Are you at risk of heart disease?

There is no single cause for any one heart condition, but there are risk factors that increase your chance of developing one. ...

Clinical Guidelines

Full list of clinical guidlines and references for CVD, heart failure, ACS, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, SCAD and RHD...

Heart Healthy Dinner Plan

Sign up now and discover delicious, easy to follow dinner recipes. Plus shopping lists, tips and other helpful information to make healthy eating easy. ...

Aboriginal heart health

Visit the St Vincents Hospital NSW and Heart Foundation Aboriginal heart health website for more information...

MyMarathon

The fundraising race where you set the pace. Run, jog or walk MyMarathon at your own pace during October....

Support and resources for health care professionals

Our range of clinical and patient support resources are available for you to use in your daily practice....

Fundraise to save Australian hearts

Join the Heart Foundation community. Together, we can make a real difference for Australian hearts. ...

Support us and help save Australian hearts

Join the fight against Australia’s biggest killer by supporting the Heart Foundation. ...

Taking your medicines

There are many medicines that treat heart attack, angina, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other heart conditions....

Exercises to do at home

All you need to know about keeping active during COVID-19....

Keeping your heart healthy

Keeping your heart healthy is something you can work on every day. ...

Heart attack at 35: Knowing the signs and symptoms

David reflects on how his life changed when he had a heart attack at 35 and how he got back on track....

Food and healthy eating during COVID-19

Healthy eating and COVID-19 FAQ...

WEBINAR | Research Alumni Series 2020

The Heart Foundation is delivering a research webinar series for Heart Foundation research alumni....

Heart Foundation Research Award Recipients

Explore our research award recipients and projects...

Research funding programs

Our research funding supports outstanding researchers who share our vision of an Australia free from heart disease. ...

Become a corporate partner

Partner with us to help us fight for Australian hearts....

Norm discovered he was at risk of a major heart attack just in the nick of time

Norm didn’t worry too much about his cholesterol problem – until an angiogram revealed he had an 80 per cent blockage in a major heart artery. ...

Asian recipes

Find heart healthy Asian recipes....

After being treated for atrial fibrillation, Boyd is now back on track

Running has been an important part of Boyd's life, so imagine his shock when a heart condition he had never heard of threatened to put a stop to it. ...

Heart health submissions to Government

Every day we are lobbying government and industry to improve heart health....

Absolute CVD risk assessment resources

Resources and clinical information for health professionals...

Physical activity after a heart attack

Discover what you need to know about being active after a heart attack....

Sodium and salt converter

Convert the sodium listed on food products into grams of salt or vice versa. ...

Types of physical activity

Nine out of 10 Australians could reduce the risk of heart disease by walking as little as 15 minutes more each day....

Managing your funding

Resources to help manage your grant, scholarship or fellowship....

Women and heart disease

Every day, 22 women lose their lives to this condition....

Heart Health Network

Heart Health Network is the Heart Foundation’s newsletter for health professionals delivered to your inbox once a month....

Pregnancy and heart disease

Information and resources for health professionals....

What waist measurements mean for your heart

How your waist measurement contributes to your heart health

How to measure your waist

What does my measurement mean?

More on this topic

Are you at risk of heart disease?

Are you at risk of heart disease?

Are you at risk of heart disease?

What is a healthy body weight?

What is a healthy body weight?

What is a healthy body weight?

Healthy eating to protect your heart

Healthy eating to protect your heart

Healthy eating to protect your heart

You might also be interested in

Cyril credits cardiac rehab for getting his life back

Cyril credits cardiac rehab for getting his life back

Cyril credits cardiac rehab for getting his life back

What's your BMI?

What's your BMI?

What's your BMI?

Cholesterol and triglycerides action plan

Cholesterol and triglycerides action plan

10 ways to get the right balance of fats

10 ways to get the right balance of fats

10 ways to get the right balance of fats

Heart Foundation recipes

Heart Foundation recipes

Heart Foundation recipes

Key healthy eating messages for heart attack recovery

Key healthy eating messages for heart attack recovery

Key healthy eating messages for heart attack recovery

Five foods to help lower blood pressure

Five foods to help lower blood pressure

Five foods to help lower blood pressure

Heart Age Calculator

Heart Age Calculator

Heart Age Calculator

Aboriginal heart health

Aboriginal heart health

Aboriginal heart health

Heart Foundation recipes

Heart Foundation recipes

Heart Foundation recipes

Nutrition after a heart attack

Nutrition after a heart attack

Nutrition after a heart attack

Five ways to lower cholesterol

Five ways to lower cholesterol

Five ways to lower cholesterol

Heart Healthy Dinner Plan

Heart Healthy Dinner Plan

Heart Healthy Dinner Plan

Are you at risk of heart disease?

Are you at risk of heart disease?

Are you at risk of heart disease?

Kylie defied the heart attack stereotypes

Kylie defied the heart attack stereotypes

Kylie defied the heart attack stereotypes

Nutrition action plan

Nutrition action plan

Blood pressure and your heart

Blood pressure and your heart

Blood pressure and your heart

New diet recommendations matter to your heart

New diet recommendations matter to your heart

New diet recommendations matter to your heart

Quit smoking action plan

Quit smoking action plan

Blood cholesterol

Blood cholesterol

Blood cholesterol

Norm discovered he was at risk of a major heart attack just in the nick of time

Norm discovered he was at risk of a major heart attack just in the nick of time

Norm discovered he was at risk of a major heart attack just in the nick of time

Sodium and salt converter

Sodium and salt converter

Dairy and your heart health

Dairy and your heart health

Dairy and your heart health

What does my measurement mean?

Key healthy eating messages for heart attack recovery 

Key healthy eating messages for heart attack recovery 

Key healthy eating messages for heart attack recovery 