Difference Between Waist and Hips

Though the hips and the waist in any body are linked together, they have different functions. Many individuals try to control their waistline and hips as measures of good looks and fitness. But, they have a greater role to play in the health sector. Waists help to show us whether a person is obese or not. Hips have the most essential part to play in walking and running. Doctors have fixed a ratio which interprets if you are physically healthy or not. These measurements vary in men and women.

Waist vs Hips

The main difference between waist and hips is that hips need to carry a major portion of the bodyweight as they aid in different movements. ON the other hand, waists do not have to take part in carrying any bodyweight.

Comparison Table Between Waist and Hips

Parameters of Comparison	Waist	Hips
Formation	Muscles, fat, and some major organs are present in the waist region.	The hips are the meeting point of the pelvis and the thigh bone.
Identification	The narrow portion of the human body lying between the ribs on the top and pelvis in the bottom is identified as waist.	The wide thick portion located behind the body are the hips.
Measurement	The midpoint of the lowest rib and iliac crest is measured as the circumference of the waist	The part of the buttocks where it is at the widest is measured as the circumference of the hips.
Male	Males tend to have a wider waistline as compared to females.	Males have less dense hips in comparison to females.
Female	Females have a narrow waistline as compared to men.	When compared to males, females have denser hips.

What is Waist?

Essentially the ‘middle part of the body’- waist is defined as the slimmest part of the human torso. However, there is a difference between the term waist and waistline. They are measured differently. A waistline is referred to the area where the waist is at its narrowest.

It might be because of the waistline that people have a problem sometimes in understanding where the waist or the hips start and begin.

Males have a broader waist in comparison to females. The fat cells in men are functioned to be around the waistline making it thicker. On the other hand, women want a slim waistline for which they work out. A waistline is quite an important factor when it comes to obesity. The waist-hip ratio is an indicator if you are obese or not.

The waist is entirely made up of fat cells, muscles, tissues, and some vital internal organs of the body. Unlike the hips, they do not have a primary function in movement, but they do help in movement by supporting and aiding the necessary muscles.

What are Hips?

The ball and socket joint that aids in all of the important movements of the human body like walking, running, crawling, sitting is known as the hip. Large muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones are all present in the hip. It bears a major portion of the body weight, and is one of the largest joints in the human body. For these various reasons, it also aids in maintaining the equilibrium of the human body.

A hip ratio is important as it predicts various diseases like heart attacks and arthritis. It is also important to maintain a good posture for the sake of your hips as a hip displacement can lead to permanent damaged movement.

The measurement of the waist is usually taken from a point that lies 2” below the umbilicus.

Main Differences Between Waist and Hips

The part of the abdomen of a human body that lies in between the ribcage and the hips is known as the waist. On the other hand, hips are situated laterally to the gluteal region.

When you are discussing the topic of waist and hips, a lot of health issues are also related. In such a scenario, the ideal waist-hip ratio of a woman is 0.7. On the other hand men having a hip-waist ratio of 0.9 is considered to be healthy.

When talking about measurements, the waist is measured from a point that lies 2” over the umbilicus. The hips are generally measured at a point that lies 2” below the umbilicus.

The waist does not contain any major bones as such. It has several major organs, muscles, tissues, and fat. But, the hip is made up of several functional joints. The fusion of pelvis and three bones (ilium, ischium, and the pubis) form the so-called hip bone.

A waist has no specific function. It has a couple of muscles that aid in various movements of the body. On the other hand, hips play an essential roles in running, crawling, or walking.

Another major function of the hips is that they help in maintaining the human body equilibrium as they are involved in body movements. But, when it comes to the waist, they are not initially movement in movements so they do not contribute anything to maintaining the body equilibrium.

Apart from several health problem indicators, hips and waist have an integral part in telling about the looks of a person. People exercise and maintain the shape of these hips and waist. To look beautiful, women tend to exercise to have a narrower waist. On the other hand, when it comes to hips, they work out to have a curvier shape.

Conclusion

This shows that the waist and hips may be just two parts of the human body located adjacently, but they have various functions. While the waist plays an important role in determining the obesity factor, hips aid in the most important movements of the body. They have a fixed ratio which tells a lot about the healthy and fitness of a person. Most people work out to maintain a waistline or curvy hips.

References

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2796.1997.00235.x

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