BMI Doesn’t Tell The Whole Story – WHR May Be Better!

The scientific community has admitted to the shortcomings of BMI for decades. BMI uses only height and weight measurements to estimate body fat, and overlooks more important factors such as fat-free mass (FFM). The calculation assumes body composition and mass distribution are the same for all patients, where in reality this is clearly not the case.

The BMI method cannot distinguish between body fat and fat-free mass, which is a serious flaw. This process may overestimate the body fat in an athlete who has more FFM, and underestimate the body fat in the elderly who have subsequently lost FFM.

Whereas BMI appears to be more accurate in both the high and low ends of the scale, it is widely inaccurate in the average range, where precision is needed the most. (Luckily for WLS candidates, the more obese you are, the more accurate BMI is.) Individuals at the extreme ends know they are either under or overweight and probably are not surprised by their BMI results.

It is the individuals who are unaware of their potentially dangerous BMI who truly need to know. In contrast, it is important for healthy individuals to know they are healthy, regardless of what others and social standards may deem appropriate.

In a society that no doubt puts tremendous pressure on young people to “fit the mold,” using BMI as a daily indicator of health creates a dangerous precedent among its citizens. For young women in particular, being self-conscious about your weight can be a great burden. In conjunction with utilizing standards like BMI for people in more normal weight ranges, patients might be getting the wrong message, or worse, no message at all. One may consider making the correlation between societal pressure, body image, and the rising suicide rate in many developed countries.

Regardless of the methods most used by health programs, we still must commend them for their initiatives. The process of education and distribution is crucial in today’s society where obesity has reached epidemic proportions. A much more indicative and accurate method is Waist-Hip Ratio (WHR). This method requires only a measuring tape and a calculator (and sixth grade math). It is calculated by measuring the smaller circumference of the natural waist, usually just above the belly button, and dividing by the hip circumference at its widest part of the buttocks or hip. The ratio is applied both to women and men.

It can more accurately indicate fat in the abdominal area, which is a risk factor for diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Low-cost and accurate for all demographics, this is the best alternative to expensive or invasive methods such as skin-folds. If obesity is redefined using WHR instead of BMI, the proportion of people categorized as at risk of heart attack worldwide increases threefold

Incorporating WHR as the foremost method for predicting health risks associated with obesity may be a much closer indicator or risk. With accurate information for every individual, regardless of bone structure and fat-free mass, health professionals can truly act on behalf of patients before severe obesity appears for that patient.

Waist to Hip Ratio Chart

Your health is not only affected by how much body fat you have, but also by where most of the fat is located on your body. People who tend to gain weight mostly in their hips and buttocks have roughly a pear body shape, while people who tend to gain weight mostly in the abdomen have more of an apple body shape.

If you have an apple shaped body rather than a pear shaped body, you are at increased risk for the health problems associated with obesity, such as diabetes, coronary heart disease and high blood pressure – that’s something you inherited, and have had since birth – but you can take special care to keep your weight at a healthy level, eat nutritiously, exercise as appropriate, and maintain other healthy lifestyle habits.

Excerpts from an article written by C. Hill. He is a kinesiologist and physical education teacher born and raised in western Canada. hills.c@shaw.ca

WHR Calculator

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