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Do you have a Hard Belly?

Excess visceral abdominal fat appears enlarged and feels firm and tight.

Take the Hard Belly Test

Actual HIV patient

How do you measure up?

To check for Hard Belly, ask your healthcare provider to:

Feel your stomach for firmness

Measure around your waist and hips (see below)

Calculate your waist-to-hip ratio

Your healthcare provider may consider:

  • Your medical history
  • Your BMI (body mass index)
  • Your HIV therapy regimen

Take The Hard Belly Test

Are you currently taking HIV medications?

You are:

Does the fat on your abdomen (belly) feel firm?

Measure your waist and hip circumference

YOUR RESULTS

Could it be a Hard Belly (excess visceral abdominal fat)?

  • You are currently taking HIV Medications:
  • You are:
  • Does the fat on your abdomen (belly) feel firm?
  • Your waist circumference:
  • Your hip circumference:

Indicators differ for men and women. Men with a waist circumference ≥ 37.4 in (95 cm) or a waist-to-hip ratio ≥ 0.94, and women with a waist circumference ≥ 37 in (94 cm) or waist-to-hip ratio ≥ 0.88 may be at risk.

Be sure to discuss this with your doctor.

This tool is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as a medical assessment and should not be interpreted as medical advice.

Questions to ask your doctor:

  • Why does my abdomen feel hard and/or uncomfortable?
  • Could excess visceral abdominal fat cause my waist to get wider over time?
  • Could my abdominal fat be related to living with HIV?
  • Might my HIV medication play a role?
  • I've tried changing my diet and exercise, but what else can I do?
  • Could I be at risk for other health conditions?

* Indicators of excess visceral abdominal fat based on inclusion criteria in clinical trials.

Measuring your waist and hip circumference

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and healthcare professionals recommend the following:

Waist

  1. Stand up straight and place a measuring tape around your middle, just above your hip bones.
  2. Measure at the level of the top of the hip bones and in line with your belly button.
  3. Keep the measuring tape horizontal around your waist.
  4. Do not compress the skin, but keep the measuring tape snug around your waist.
  5. Breathe out before measuring.

Hips

  1. Measure at the widest portion of the buttocks, making sure the measuring tape is horizontal.

Every person is different, so it is important to talk to your healthcare provider about excess visceral abdominal fat.

Make sure you are prepared to speak
to your doctor about your Hard Belly.

Talk To Your Doctor

KEEP IN MIND THAT REDUCING EXCESS VISCERAL ABDOMINAL FAT (HARD BELLY) MAY NOT DECREASE THE RISK OF OTHER HEALTH ISSUES.