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Among all the tools for gauging the flab on your frame, you can’t beat the simple measuring tape. “Determining your waist-to-hip ratio can help indicate your level of visceral fat – that dangerous belly flub linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer,” says Dr George Blackburn, PhD, of Harvard Medical School. The problem with the body mass index (BMI) is that it can’t tell the difference between a well-muscled man and a guy who has the same height and weight, but with a gut. So, to measure your waist, wrap the tape around your body at midpoint between your lowest rib and hip bone. Divide the size of your waist by that of your hip for your ratio. Aim for 0.9 or lower.