A woman’s waist may better predict her risk of type 2 diabetes than her weight, according to a 2019 study. Researchers tracked roughly 136,000 postmenopausal women for nearly 15 years. Waist size predicted diabetes risk even better than weight. Women with a waist between 31 and 35 inches had a 59 percent higher risk than those with a smaller waist. A woman with a waist over 35 inches had three times the risk compared to a woman with a waist under 31 inches. A large waist was even worse for women with Asian ancestry. Their risks were roughly 2½ times higher in the 31-to-35-inch range and nearly 4½ times higher if over 35 inches.