waist to height ratio instead of BMI

Concept
BMI or Body Mass Index, a ratio of weight to height, has long been considered one of the best measures for assessing overall health risk.Getting your BMI into a healthy range used to be considered a top health priority. However, recent research shows that there is a new sheriff in town: your waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). Studies now indicate that WHtR is a much better measure than BMI for assessing obesity and cardiovascular risk. Read on to find out why, and whether your WHtR is in a healthy range.

Nutritional Facts and Figures

The Research
In a recent study presented in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology Metabolism, the WHtR was the strongest predictor of cardiovascular risk and mortality. On the other hand, BMI was not always positively associated with cardiovascular risk. The results of this study discourage the use of BMI as a measure of health risk and encourage the use of WHtR.

BMI Flaws
BMI provides a guide to the relationship between a person's height and weight. However, having a high BMI is not always a telltale sign that one will be at greater risk for disease. For instance, many thin people who have low or normal BMI's still have heart attacks or die from strokes and many people who have high BMI's are in good cardiovascular shape (as the study above indicated). BMI does not take into account an individual's frame, gender, or the amount of muscle mass versus fat mass. For example, two people can have the same BMI, even if one is much more muscular and carrying far less abdominal fat than the other; this is because BMI does not account for differences in fat distribution.

WHR
The WHtR is calculated by dividing waist size by height, and takes gender into account. As an example, a male with a 32 inch waist who is 5'10" (70 inches) would divide 32 by 70, to get a WHtR of 45.7 percent. The WHtR is thought to give a more accurate assessment of health since the most dangerous place to carry weight is in the abdomen. Fat in the abdomen, which is associated with a larger waist, is metabolically active and produces various hormones that can cause harmful effects, such as diabetes, elevated blood pressure, and altered lipid (blood fat) levels.

Many athletes, both male and female, who often have a higher percentage of muscle and a lower percentage of body fat, have relatively high BMIs but their WHtRs are within a healthy range. This also holds true for women who have a "pear" rather than an "apple" shape.

The following chart helps you determine if your WHtR falls in a healthy range (these ratios are percentages):

WOMEN
• Ratio less than 35: Abnormally Slim to Underweight
• Ratio 35 to 42: Extremely Slim
• Ratio 42 to 46: Slender and Healthy
• Ratio 46 to 49: Healthy and Attractive
• Ratio 49 to 54: Overweight
• Ratio 54 to 58: Seriously Overweight
• Ratio over 58: Highly Obese.

MEN
• Ratio less than 35: Abnormally Slim to Underweight
• Ratio 35 to 43: Extremely slim
• Ratio 43 to 46: Slender and Healthy
• Ratio 46 to 53: Healthy, Normal, Attractive Weight
• Ratio 53 to 58: Overweight
• Ratio 58 to 63: Extremely Overweight/Obese
• Ratio over 63: Highly Obese

Alyse's Advice
New research shows that the WHtR, not BMI, is the most accurate assessment tool for health risk. People with the most weight around their waists are at greatest risk of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. Therefore, since you can't change your height, you should take special care to keep your weight and in particular, abdominal girth in a healthy range by eating nutritiously and exercising regularly.

1. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Apr;95(4):1777-85. Epub 2010 Feb 3. The predictive value of different measures of obesity for incident cardiovascular events and mortality. Schneider HJ, Friedrich N, Klotsche J, Pieper L, Nauck M, John U, Dörr M, Felix S, Lehnert H, Pittrow D, Silber S, Völzke H, Stalla GK, Wallaschofski H, Wittchen HU.

Los Angeles nutritionist Alyse Levine MS, RD, founder of NutritionBite. Visit her profile on LIVESTRONG.COM.

BMI says overweight and this says slender and healthy. I prefer this method.

Yeah I am right on the line with BMI, and I feel like a scarecrow.  My collarbones stick out, you can see my ribs, you might even be able to see abs if I didn't have all this extra skin.
But I'm right in the middle of the waist to height ratio. 

It might even be better if I got the extra padding from the skin removed.

I think I'll use this one from now on.

Scott

Oh man! I swear I can't win!! I finally get to a "normal" BMI and then you pull this one out! LOL. My BMI says normal but here I'm just on this side of overweight. Need to lose one more inch!! LOL. I guess I know what my new goal is...LOSE THAT INCH!!

O/T I'd like to know why the mens chart says: Healthy, normal, attractive WEIGHT
       while the womens just says Healthy and Attractive. HMMMM. LOLOLOL

I guess they just assume being a woman you are normal, while the guys have to have some validation for that category!

Scott

Oh and for the purpose of this test, you should measure 1 inch above the belly button.

Don't use your pants measurement, because that can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer.

Guess I'll dig out the tape measure tonight.

I still want to get a dunk test done to see what the body fat percentage is.

Scott

since a major chunk of my skin sits above my waist ( i have to wear low-rise pants if i want them to fit my butt, my "waist" and my hips), this measurement puts me squarely in the overweight category.  BMI has be as normal, 24. and my surgeon warned me not to lose another pound and referred to me as "skinny".

I guess I'll stick with a health assessment of:  can skip, walk, run, buy clothes in normal stores and take no medications for any physical ailments. 

I've NEVER heard of the Waist to Height Ration method. I have read/heard about the Waist to Hip ratio.     According to the WHtR, I am overweight. According to WHR (waist to hip) I am healthy (not carrying excess weight at the middle).

BMI, just squeaking in at normal.

My least favorite is this WHtR formula. ICK. 


My FAVORITE FORMULA is the HDMALIML FORMULA
Better known as the : How Does My @ss Look In My Levi's 501 Formula

 I am healthy and attractive, but I don't get how the test knows that from my waist measurement?  :)

I say we put it to the ladies time for a vote

Well obviously the measure of attractiveness is based solely on waist measurement.  At least that is what advertisers and the weight loss and exercise industries would have us believe.

Scott