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Visceral fat guide

Can You Measure Visceral Fat at Home? Tape and String Test

By Midline. Last reviewed .

The question

How do you check for visceral fat at home?

Short answer

Not directly. Only a scan, like an MRI or DEXA, measures visceral fat. At home you can check with a tape or a piece of string. The tape gives your waist-to-height ratio, and one simple rule is to keep it under half your height. A rough guide, not a diagnosis.

Midline cannot measure visceral fat and is not medical advice. Check with a doctor before making medical decisions.

What can a tape tell you?

A tape can't see visceral fat. Two people with the same waist can carry very different amounts inside. Only a scan, like an MRI or DEXA, measures it. Midline can't measure it.

Try to keep your waist under half your height. That's a waist-to-height ratio under 0.5.

How do you use the tape?

  1. Wrap the tape around the widest part of your belly, standing relaxed.
  2. Breathe out normally first, then read the tape. Use the same spot each time.
  3. Measure your waist and your height in the same units, then divide your waist by your height.

Want the sum done for you? Use the free waist-to-height calculator. For more on the tape spot, see how to measure your waist for health.

If measuring your body makes you anxious, or you've had an eating disorder, skip it and talk to your doctor instead.

What is the string test?

No tape? Cut a piece of string as long as you are tall and fold it in half. Wrap it around the widest part of your belly. If the ends overlap, your waist is under half your height. If they don't overlap, it's half your height or more.

  • Your waist is under half your height.
  • Your waist is half your height or more.

The string test gives you a yes or no, not a number. Use the tape if you want the ratio.

What does the ratio mean?

RatioWhat it means
Under half your heightYour waist is under half your height.
Half your height or moreYour waist is half your height or more. The at-home rule we use is to keep it under half your height.

If your result worries you, talk to your doctor.

A rough guide, not a diagnosis.

What do you do with the number?

Treat it as a starting point. The habits experts recommend for visceral fat are on the visceral fat guide. To work out the first one to start today, take the quick middle check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I measure visceral fat at home?

No. A tape can't see visceral fat: two people with the same waist can carry very different amounts inside, and only a scan like an MRI or DEXA measures it. Midline's waist check is a rough guide based on one simple rule, keeping your waist under half your height.

Where does the tape go?

Wrap the tape around the widest part of your belly, standing relaxed. Use the same spot each time. Breathe out normally first.

What is the string test?

No tape? Cut a piece of string as long as you are tall and fold it in half. Wrap it around the widest part of your belly. If the ends overlap, your waist is under half your height. If they don't overlap, it's half your height or more.

What waist-to-height ratio is too high?

A ratio of 0.5 or more, which means your waist is half your height or more. The at-home rule we use is to keep it under half your height. If your result worries you, talk to your doctor.

Is a waist-to-height ratio a diagnosis?

No. It is a rough guide, not a diagnosis. A tape can't see visceral fat.

Keep reading

More answers

Sources

  1. David Unwin on The Diary Of A CEO. David Unwin, The Diary Of A CEOA simple at-home test: your waist should be less than half your height. Belly fat worries him more than fat on your arms or legs.
  2. Peter Attia on The Diary Of A CEO. Peter Attia, The Diary Of A CEOHis clinic measures visceral fat with a DEXA scan.
  3. Rhonda Patrick on The Diary Of A CEO. Rhonda Patrick, The Diary Of A CEOWaist size is a rough proxy for visceral fat. To measure it directly you would get a DEXA scan.
  4. Sean O'Mara on YouTube. Sean O'Mara, YouTubeShows two MRI scans with the same waist size and very different visceral fat. Tracking waist alone misses that.

All sources across the site are listed on the sources page.

Last reviewed . Educational only, not medical advice. Check with your pharmacist if you take medication.

We draft articles with AI help. A reviewer checks every health statement against the expert's own words in the video before it goes up.