Guys, have you ever been pleasantly surprised when you go shopping? All of a sudden you magically fit into a size 34 pants – when you could have sworn you were a 38. Well, we’re being fooled. Researchers visited several top clothing stores – tape measure in hand - and found big differences between the pants size on the tag and the actual waist size of the men’s pants. For example:

• Calvin Klein slacks labeled “36-inch waist” fit guys with a 38-and-a-half inch waist.
• Super-size guys can really feel good at Old Navy, where pants labeled “36-inch waist” fit men with a 41-inch waist!

So, why are most pants bigger than the tags say they are? To make people feel better about fitting into a smaller size or what retailers call “vanity sizing.” The problem is, most men only know their waist size by their pants. So, by fitting into pants that pretend to be up to 5 inches smaller than they really are, some men may not know they’re gaining weight. In fact, a recent study shows that men with larger waists have twice the risk of death as men with smaller waists. So what should your waist size be? Half your height. If it’s any bigger than 40 inches – no matter how tall you are – your risk is higher for heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Why? According to the National Institutes of Health, belly fat damages your arteries.