Waist circumference is recognized as an important measure of abdominal adiposity which in turn is a recognized risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and stroke. It is also frequently measured in occupational health practice, in statutory medicals (e.g. diving), as part of fitness assessments and in health promotion activity. As different healthcare professionals may make sequential measurements on the same employee (e.g. in annual measurements), it is important that there is consistency in the method of waist measurement to allow for accurate interpretation of longitudinal data. Occupational health professionals attending the annual conference of the Central England Occupational Health Group (CEOHG) were asked to provide data on their demography and their current practice in waist measurement. This was then compared with current guidance from the National Health Service (NHS) and World Health Organization (WHO).
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