Your waist size should be less than 35 inches if you are a woman and less than 40 inches if you are a man. It’s easy to measure. All you need is a measuring tape. Reader’s Digest says to use your belly button as a key reference point. And remember not to suck your stomach in -- be honest with yourself. 

Use a simple formula to determine your waist-to-hip ratio. Reader’s Digest says all you have to do is divide the measurement of the narrowest point of your waist with that of the widest portion of your hips. If that ratio is higher than 0.90 inches for a man or higher than 0.85 inches for a female, this demonstrates a tendency to carry weight in the abdominal region, which could point to metabolic syndrome. 

Blood Glucose

According to the National Institutes of Health, blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day. Normal fasting blood sugar falls in the range of 70 and 99 mg/dl, and normal blood sugar measured a couple of hours after a meal should be less than 140 mg/dl. 

If two fasting blood glucose tests in a row show that blood glucose is at or higher than 126 mg/dl, or if a general blood glucose reading is above 200 mg/dl, diabetes is diagnosed. Doctors also look for pre-diabetes or impaired fasting glucose (IFG) when performing these tests. If readings on a fasting blood glucose test are between 100 and 125 mg/dl, this diagnosis is given. 

Cholesterol

High cholesterol can run in families; however, it usually is a factor of lifestyle. According to the Mayo Clinic, cholesterol resides in the fats found in blood. And while the body needs some cholesterol, high “bad cholesterol” numbers can be problematic.