Blog Article

BMI vs. Waist-to-Height Ratio

Posted on May 21st, 2012 in Body Surgery

Bye-bye, BMI. While this measure of body fat and associated health risks remains in widespread use, its days may be numbered, according to a recent article by WebMD Health News. Recent research suggests that your waist-to-height ratio is more accurate in assessing your body fat and health risks. It’s also easier to measure than BMI, so that people looking to lose weight can put away their calculators. Body mass index (BMI) is based on ratio of weight to height. It has been used for over 150 years to assess whether someone may be underweight or overweight. It requires you to take your weight in pounds and divide by the square of your height in inches. This method has been widely criticized as being cumbersome, especially since you have to multiply by another number whenever using non-metric units (such as pounds and inches). But that’s not the only problem with BMI. Bodybuilders and athletes with significant muscle mass are often shown as “obese.” This is because muscle weighs more than fat. People who are exercising to lose weight are often surprised to find that they gained some weight in the short term, because of muscular development. New research shows that your waist-to-height ratio might be more useful in determining your health. By reviewing 31 studies, researchers found that waist-to-height ratio proved to be more accurate than BMI in predicting health risks such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Taking your waist-to-height ratio is easy. For the most accurate measurement, you should place the tape measure at the level of your belly button. Ideally, your waist measurement should be half or less of your height. If your waist is more than half your height, you may want to consider modifying your diet and exercise regime. Many overweight individuals are pursuing weight-loss surgeries that can help them shed excess pounds when diet and exercise have not helped. After bariatric surgery, patients often benefit from body contouring surgeries that remove excess skin. These include the arm lift, breast lift, body lift, thigh lift, and tummy tuck. Liposuction is also sometimes used to better contour problem areas.