The average waist size for U.S. women is 38.5 inches, indicating widespread abdominal obesity. Larger waist sizes are linked with increased risks of chronic diseases, like heart disease and diabetes.

Please provide your email address to receive an email when new articles are posted on . Women with large waist circumference had a greater risk for death across all BMI categories. Researchers ...

While obesity remains a pressing public health threat, prevention and treatment are made difficult by the limits of the BMI to accurately measure excess adiposity, according to the study’s authors.