Experts have estimated the exact waist size which could mean you are at greater risk for a number of health issues. Having a large belly could mean you are vulnerable to heart disease and diabetes, among other conditions. 

Recent analyses by health experts have pinpointed a specific waist size that could signal an elevated risk for a variety of health problems. An enlarged waistline is often associated with increased susceptibility to heart disease, diabetes, and other related conditions.

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) emphasizes on its website that a straightforward home test can help ascertain whether you’re at risk for heart disease. The organization highlights that measuring your waist circumference is a reliable indicator of your overall health status.

The BHF explains, “Excess weight or obesity significantly heightens your risk of heart and circulatory diseases, as well as conditions like type 2 diabetes. Body mass index (BMI) is typically used to determine if an individual is overweight or obese.”

They further clarify, “A BMI of 25 or above generally indicates overweight status, while a BMI of 30 or more is classified as obese.” However, the BHF also notes that BMI is not the sole determinant of heart disease risk.

The BHF said: “This is the fat stored around internal organs like your liver and pancreas. Visceral fat produces toxins that affect the way your body works.

According to the BHF, health risks escalate if a man’s waist exceeds 94cm (37 inches) or a woman’s waist surpasses 80cm (31½ inches). Typically, excess abdominal weight is linked to high levels of visceral fat, which is a known health hazard.

“It makes it harder for your body to use a hormone called insulin, which controls your blood glucose (sugar) levels. This can lead to type 2 diabetes. Too much glucose in your bloodstream can damage your arteries and increase your risk of heart and circulatory diseases.”

To measure your waist, use a measuring tape and follow these instructions:

• Find the bottom of your ribs and the top of your hips
• Place a tape measure around your middle at a point halfway between them – this will be just above the belly button
• Make sure it’s pulled tight but isn’t digging into your skin
• Breathe out naturally and take your measurement
• Take your measurement again just to be sure

You can also input these measurements into the BHF’s waist measurement tracker online here. 

“Beer bellies” and heart disease

This advice is supported by research that found that men sporting a “beer belly” could be at an increased risk of heart disease. The study, due to be presented at the annual gathering of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in December 2025, discovered that belly fat is linked with more detrimental alterations in heart structure than overall body weight alone. 

This risk was found to be even higher in men. As part of their research, the team analysed cardiovascular MRI images of 2,244 adults aged between 46 and 78 who had no known cardiovascular disease.

According to BMI measurements, 69% of males and 56% of females in the research were categorised as overweight or obese. However, when assessed using waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), 91% of the males and 64% of the females satisfied the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) standards for obesity.

As documented by Study Finds, generalised obesity determined by BMI was more frequently associated with enlarged heart chambers amongst all participants. In contrast, abdominal obesity was connected to heart muscle thickening and reduced heart chamber capacity.

These alterations were particularly pronounced in male participants, especially within the right ventricle, which circulates blood to the lungs. Scientists suspect this could signal early cardiac strain related to how belly fat impacts respiratory function and lung pressure.

Jennifer Erley, the lead author of the study from the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf in Germany, said: “Abdominal obesity, a high waist-to-hip ratio, is associated with more concerning cardiac remodelling patterns than high body mass index (BMI) alone. 

“It appears to lead to a potentially pathological form of cardiac remodelling, concentric hypertrophy, where the heart muscle thickens but the overall size of the heart doesn’t increase, leading to smaller cardiac volumes. In fact, the inner chambers become smaller, so the heart holds and pumps less blood.

“This pattern impairs the heart’s ability to relax properly, which eventually can lead to heart failure.”

If you are concerned about your weight, you should speak to your GP.