A new study finds BMI is as accurate as waist size measurement

JOBURG – National Obesity Week is from 15–19 October, our relationship with food is ever-changing so is the health sector measurements to tackle obesity.

October 15, 2019

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Measuring tapes have been shown to be more accurate in calculating a person's weight. Photo: Unsplash

A study by the University of Iowa in the United States found that waist size is more accurate at assessing whether you are at risk of a range of health problems than body mass index (BMI).

National Obesity Week is from 15–19 October, the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Network Open, found that women who are considered to be of normal weight as measured by their BMI could actually be at a high risk of many health problems or even death because of their waist size.

iNova Pharmaceuticals spokesperson Leigh Callipolitis said the study, “Has highlighted the biggest concern with using BMI. People who think that they are healthy because their BMI falls within a ‘normal’ range, could actually fall into a high-risk group because of other risk factors such as percentage of body fat percentage and central obesity.”

She explained that BMI calculates a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of the person’s height in metres (kg/m2). Most acceptable normal weight is defined as a BMI of 18.5 – 24. A person is defined overweight if their BMI is between 25.0 and 29.9 and are obese if their BMI is 30.0 and over.

The health sector has used the BMI measurement for decades to decided whether or not a person is overweight or underweight. Waist measurement can simply check if a person is carrying excess body fat around the stomach, and can be an indicator of the level of internal fat deposits around the heart, kidneys, liver, digestive organs and pancreas. This can increase risks of heart disease, stroke and cancer.

To measure your waist is as simple as taking a measuring tape, placing it between the top of your hip bone and bottom of your ribs. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the National Health and Medical Research Council recommendations are that men’s waist measurement should it be over 94cm, in women, the waist measurement should not be over 80cm.

Callipolitis concluded that if you are trying to lose weight, start by eating less, increase your activity levels and choose healthier options.

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